Rev. Dr. Billy Eugene Beck

1936 - 2025

Rev. Dr. Billy Eugene Beck

February 20, 1936 - November 14, 2025

Claremont, California - Bill Beck passed away peacefully at his home on November 14, 2025, surrounded by the love of his wife, Mary, and daughter, Sara. He was 89.

Born in Butler, Oklahoma, on February 20, 1936, Bill moved with his parents, Clifford and Lena Beck, to Lodi, California, at the age of two. He grew up alongside his younger brother, Russell, and two sisters, Sharron and Janet, developing the quiet steadiness and compassion that would define his life's work.

Bill earned his B.A. from the University of the Pacific before pursuing a Master of Theology at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. It was during his time at Perkins, en route to a Thanksgiving gathering in 1959, that he met Mary Bullock, a third-grade teacher in Dallas. A brief and heartfelt courtship followed; they were engaged by February and married in June 1960. Their honeymoon carried them west to California, where Bill began his ministry at a small church in Galt. There they welcomed their first two children, Sara and David, into a community eager for the warmth and energy of a young pastoral family.

Bill later served the United Methodist churches in Earlimart and Alpaugh, where their family grew again as they welcomed James and Miriam. His calling, however, soon expanded beyond the pulpit. Inspired by his early volunteer work with Heifer International, Bill devoted himself to the organization's mission of ending hunger and poverty through agricultural support and education. After nine years of volunteering, he joined the organization full time-beginning a remarkable 31-year career.

Bill's work with Heifer took him across the globe: trucking goats to Mexico, accompanying cattle and pigs on ships bound for Japan and Korea, and caring for livestock transported by air to Ecuador and Korea. He served as Director of multiple U.S. regions, living and working in Modesto, California (where he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary), as well as in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Ormond Beach, Florida. He also established Heifer's Planned Giving and Trust Fund Program, ensuring the organization's mission would endure for generations to come.

Beyond his work with Heifer, Bill gave generously to the communities he lived in. A dedicated Kiwanian for 37 years, he served in numerous leadership roles, including President and District and Division Chaplain. He spent eight years on the Board of the California-Nevada United Methodist Foundation, serving two years as its President.

Bill retired in 1999, but retirement did little to slow him. That same year, he and Mary traveled to South Korea and China to visit Heifer projects. In 2002, they led 18 supporters on a study tour to India and Nepal, and in 2004 guided another group to Tanzania. Bill also returned briefly to pastoral ministry, serving as interim pastor alongside his wife, Mary, at the First United Methodist Church in Modesto from 2001 to 2002.

In 2012, Bill and Mary moved from Modesto to Pilgrim Place in Claremont, California, where they became deeply woven into the life of the community. Bill contributed his time to several committees, volunteered with an organization serving people experiencing homelessness, and found joy working in the Pendleton woodshop. He and Mary were faithful members of Claremont United Methodist Church throughout their years in Claremont.

Bill is survived by Mary, his beloved wife of 65 years; their four children; ten grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. His legacy lives on in the many communities he served and in the countless lives touched by his compassion, humility, and unwavering commitment to others. A memorial gathering will be held at Pilgrim Place in Claremont, California, on January 31 at 3:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to honor Bill's life by supporting Heifer International. Heifer's mission-to help families lift themselves out of hunger and poverty-was central to Bill's life's work. Contributing in his name allows the generosity and compassion he lived by to continue making a difference.

https://fundraise.heifer.org/Bill_Beck