William J. Beck

William J. Beck, 77 of Lawrence, passed away peacefully, on Monday, April 29, 2024 at the Lawrence General Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Janet (Andreoli) Beck, to whom he had been married for 53 years.
Bill, a native of St. Paul, MN, was born on April 26, 1947, the son of the late Raymond and Laura (Knaub) Beck. Bill served his country with pride in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He pursued his education at New Hampshire College, earning a Bachelor of Science in human services. He later dedicated over 30 years of his life to protecting his community as a respected member of the Lawrence Police Department, rising to the rank of sergeant before his well-deserved retirement.
Bill was a member of the Mass. Police Association and a member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. Sports brought him joy, particularly rooting for both the New England and Minnesota teams. Bill's love of Maine took him on countless trips, up the coast to Boothbay and Bar Harbor. Of course, heading up to Boothbay he had to stop at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, ME known for their 1 lb. lobster roll. Then there was the Rockland, ME Lobster Festival, where he would indulge in two lobsters for lunch. Bill also loved traveling out west to Yellowstone National Park, which was his favorite, and traveled to the Badlands National Parks, & Mt. Rushmore.
There were countless trips back home to Minnesota to visit the family he loved and it was not a coincidence that many times, he chose to visit during the Minnesota State Fair Days so he could indulge in any kind of food on a stick. Bill also enjoyed playing poker not only at Foxwoods but also at his father-in-law's house with the family.
Bill will be deeply missed by his wife, Janet, his daughter, Jenny Beck, and her partner, Dan Harlow of Attleboro, MA; his sister, Joann Luttrell of Roseville, MN; his sister-in-law, Kathleen Hamel of Methuen; his brother-in-law, Victor A. Andreoli & his wife, Paula of North Andover; 7 nieces, Sarah Hamel-Spight & her husband, Bral of North Andover, Kathryn Hamel & her partner, Will of Methuen, Leanne Hamel of Methuen, Vicki Strandberg & her husband, Kevin of MN, Sue Bradley of MN, Nancy Schugel & her husband, Steve of MN, Laurie Larson & her husband, Tom, of MN, and 2 nephews, Peter Luttrell & David Beck, both of MN and his many great nieces & nephews. Bill was pre-deceased by his sister, Dolly (Beck) & her husband, Tom Pietsch of Wisconsin, his brother, Harold Beck & wife, Cheryl of MN, & his brother-in-law, Douglas Hamel of Methuen, MA.
Family and friends will gather to honor and celebrate Bill's life during calling hours on Monday, May 13, 2024, from 4-7 PM at the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home, 233 Lawrence Street, Methuen. His Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday at 11 AM at Our Lady of Good Counsel / St. Theresa Church, 22 Plymouth Street, Methuen, followed by burial at Elmwood Cemetery in Methuen.
In lieu of flowers in remembrance of Bill, contributions may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, PO Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or at www.dana-farber.org/give. We are all so thankful to the great team at Dana under Dr. Roman Shapiro, Bill's Stem Cell Oncologist who always went above and beyond for him. With Dr. Shapiro, Bill's stem cell transplant was successful, and his AML was in remission. Forever grateful also to Victor, Paula, and Leanne for the countless trips they made to bring Bill to all of his Boston visits.
For directions or to share condolences online, please visit www.pollardfuneralhome.com. The Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home is honored to assist the Beck family during this difficult time.