Cleo Bingham Becker

Cleo Bingham (Swanson) Becker, 94, passed away on August 28, 2025 at Angela Hospice in Livonia, Michigan.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband Gerald, her sister Dora Makin, brother Tim Swanson, and sister Laura Contrastato. She leaves to cherish her memory her sister Linda Henkel and her husband Herb Henkel, and her four children, daughter Deborah (Becker) Fresard and her husband Thomas Fresard, son Michael Becker and his wife Genesis Becker, daughter Melinda (Becker) Bush, and daughter Suzanne (Becker) Sangmeister and her husband Marc Sangmeister; and nine grandchildren, Justin, Brandon, Jefferson, John, Michelle, Joshua, Nicholas, Abigail and her husband Jeffrey, and Leann and her husband Justin; her great grandchild Liam, and a host of loved nieces and nephews and other dear family and friends.
Cleo was born in Himyar, Knox County, Kentucky. She moved to Detroit with her parents, Rose (Walker) and Tilman Swanson during World War II. At the young age of 16, she met the love of her life, Gerald Becker, and they were happily married for nearly 70 years.
Cleo had a passion for learning and earned her Bachelor's in Education and a Master's in English as a Second Language. She had a rewarding 25-year career as an educator, mainly teaching elementary school aged children. She also enjoyed teaching English as a Second Language to adults and helped many of them improve their lives here in America.
Cleo also had a passion for people, and she made many friends over the years. She was an avid learner, she loved to be with family, socialize, travel, but mostly, she loved to dance! She was still dancing at the young age of 94 at her granddaughter's wedding this past June. We are at peace knowing that she and Gerald are dancing together once again.
Visitation Monday September 1, 2025 from 3pm-7pm, with a Sharing of Memories at 6pm at Wujek Calcaterra & Sons Inc. (Shelby Twp) 54880 Van Dyke @ 25 Mile Road. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday September 2, 2025, with Instate at 9am and Funeral Service at 10am at Wujek Calcaterra & Sons Inc. (Shelby Twp) 54880 Van Dyke @ 25 Mile Road. Interment Cadillac Memorial Gardens East. Share memories with the family at their "On-Line guest book" @ WujekCalcaterra.com