Armour Beckstrand

ARMOUR T. BECKSTRAND, 85 ROCKFORD - Armour T. Beckstrand, 85, of Rockford, died at 2:05 p.m. Monday, May 13, 2013, in his home. Born Feb. 7, 1928, in Rockford; the son of Dr. O. Garfield and Agnes (Anderson) Beckstrand. He graduated from East High School in 1947. He then graduated from Carthage College and received his law degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he was president of the Law Review and the Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity. During World War II, he served as a pharmacist's mate in the United States Navy, stationed in San Diego, California. He married Elizabeth "Betsy" Broders on October 28, 1950, in Rochester, Minnesota, and she predeceased him in 1995. He and Jan Sandahl were married on April 25, 1998. Upon graduation from law school, Armour served as a lawyer and Vice President of Tennessee Gas Transmission Company (Tenneco) in Houston, Texas and Washington, D.C. While in Washington, D.C., he became the youngest attorney to appeal and win a case before the United States Supreme Court. He returned to private practice in Rockford in 1963 with Reno, Zahm, Folgate, and Skolrood. He was later a partner with Beckstrand, Ritz, and Wahm in 1968, and went on to form his own private practice in the former Amcore Bank building. He later served of counsel for the Law Firm of Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley, and Van Evera from 2003 to 2010, when he retired at the age of 82. Armour served on the boards of Swedish American Hospital, Scandinavian Cemetery Assoc., and the Pierce Packaging Company. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, the Illinois and Winnebago County Bar Associations, and the University Club. Above all else, his greatest joy in life was his family. Some of his happiest times were spent with his children, grandchildren, and friends at his cabin along the Rock River and at Stony Lake in Shelby, Michigan. Armour's love of family and friends led to countless hours of philanthropic law counseling. Armour was most admired for his unforgettable sense of humor and his extraordinary love of life and the people he shared it with. He is survived by his wife, Jan; children, Debra (William) Brearley of Rockford, Thomas (Dr. Katherine) Beckstrand of Eugene, Ore., Sally (Mark) Myers of Carmel, Ind., and John Beckstrand of Klamath Falls, Ore.; stepchildren, Juli (Jeff) Margolin of Urbandale, Iowa and Michael (Jeannie) Sandahl of Landrum, S.C.; grandchildren, John (Betty), Andrew (Sheila), Lucy, and Liz Brearley, Emily and Annie Beckstrand, Dr. Bailey (Dr. Kaveh) Tayebi, Marisa, Charlie, Maggie, and Lexi Myers, Nate, Meagan, and Abby Beckstrand; step-grandchildren, Adam and Sarah Margolin, Sophie and Lucy Sandahl; great-grandchild, Eleazar Brearley; siblings, Margaret Roth of Minneapolis, Minn., Rev. Robert (Dorothy) Beckstrand of Stoughton, Wis., and Anne Dudycha of Racine, Wis. Predeceased by his brother, O. Garfield Beckstrand II. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Olson Funeral & Cremation Services, Ltd., Fred C. Olson Chapel, 1001 Second Ave., with Rev. Jay Quinn officiating. Private graveside burial in Scandinavian Cemetery officiated by Rev. Robert Beckstrand and Rev. Peter Beckstrand. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 17, 2013, in Fred C. Olson Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the University Club Scholarship fund, 945 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61103; OSF St. Anthony Foundation, 5666 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61108; or to the Rockford Symphony Orchestra, 711 N. Main St., Ste. 6, Rockford, IL 61103; or to the donor's choice. To share a memory or condolence, visit olsonfh.com.