George Henry Becker

George Henry Becker

AGE: 86 •

George Henry Becker passed away on Sunday, June 2, 2013 after complications from kidney failure in Augusta, Georgia. He was 86 years old and was born in South Orange N.J. where he spent most of his childhood. Mr. Becker was a graduate of Cranwell Preparatory School in Lenox, MA, The Georgetown School of Foreign Service and received his Doctorate in Political Science from the Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. During World War II, he attended the US Merchant Marine Academy and served overseas as a midshipman on armed merchant marine ships prior to his graduation from the academy in March of 1946. He was also an officer in the US Naval Reserve. After completing his studies in Europe in 1952, he entered the US Foreign Service serving first in Saltzburg, Austria and then at our embassy in Vienna. Mr. Becker resigned from the Foreign Service in December of 1956 and in 1957 he was appointed special assistant to US Secretary of Commerce, Sinclair Weeks, and remained in that position with all of President Eisenhower's Secretaries of Commerce, followed by a tour as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for International Affairs. After leaving the government service in 1961, Mr. Becker worked for General Dynamics in NY and then as President of the International Division of the Kysor Industrial Corporation. In 1971, Mr. Becker left the world of International Business temporarily to teach at the Rutgers Graduate School of Business. During this period he was associated with several venture capital companies and was a member of the Board of the NJ State Chamber of Commerce as well as Chairman of the District Export Council (DEC) of the Department of Commerce. Before his retirement in 1993, Mr. Becker was a consultant to US and foreign companies and in 1990-1991 he lived in Indonesia for 6 months as a consultant to the World Bank. Mr. Becker most recently served as a guest lecturer on International Affairs in the Business School of Augusta State University. He was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Patricia FitzGerald Becker, who passed away in March of 2010. He married Patricia in Annecy, France in 1950 and lived in Europe for 5 years. He moved to Monmouth County, NJ in 1960 where he lived until 2005. George was very active on the Board of Catholic Charities for many years as well as on the Board of Love Inc. in Eatontown, NJ. He was a founding member of the Navesink Country Club, and a member of Rumson Country Club, Sea Bright Beach Club, Sea Bright Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, Westlake Country Club (Augusta, GA) and Harbor Club (Greensboro, GA).

George is survived by his 3 daughters, Leslie Manley and her husband Tom of Greensboro, GA, Stacey Maclay of Acton, MA, and Peggy Moody and her husband Jim of Fair Haven, NJ; his 8 grandchildren, George and Graham Manley, Meredith Womack, Read and Mackenzie Maclay, Mary Pat, Jay and Patrick Moody and one great-grandchild, Regan Manley. George was a man of great stature, with a big heart and a twinkle in his eye. He is remembered by his family as a man greatly devoted to his wife Patsy, his 3 daughters and all of his grandchildren.

The family will receive friends and relatives on Sunday, June 9 from 4-7pm at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank, NJ. Mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday, June 10th at 10am at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Rd., Fair Haven, NJ. The family suggests in lieu of flowers, a charitable contribution can be made to Love Inc., PO Box 847, 15 Meridian Road #3, Eatontown, NJ 07724.