George Chester Beckwith

1943 - 2024

George Chester Beckwith
10/01/1943 - 11/05/2024
George Chester Beckwith, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, passed away on November 5, 2024, at his home in Oakland, California, at the age of 81.
Born on October 1, 1943, in Niagara Falls, New York, to Robert and Avis Beckwith, George was the eldest of five children. His childhood was marked by a love of music, particularly playing the trombone and sousaphone in The Salvation Army band. After graduating from Niagara Falls High School, George enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Germany. This experience allowed him to travel across Europe and form lifelong friendships.
After completing his military service, George attended the University of San Francisco (USF), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English Literature. His passion for writing flourished during these years, as he published articles in The San Francisco Quarterly, The Lamp, and Reader's Digest. He joined The Pipes, a group of close-knit friends who sang a cappella at local venues and whose members still gather to perform and reminisce over five decades later. He went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from USF School of Law. George also married fellow USF student, Maria Teresa Beckwith, and they had two children, Todd and Laura. They raised their family in Palm Springs, San Francisco, and Marin.
After earning his law degree, George embarked on a 23-year career in public service as a prosecutor in the cities of Indio and San Francisco. He was a skilled and respected litigator, known for his quick thinking, deep knowledge of his cases, and a natural rapport with judges, jurors, and witnesses alike. When a change in administration brought his career in the district attorney's office to an unexpected close, he seamlessly transitioned into private practice, representing indigent criminal defendants for nearly two more decades.
George married his second wife, Amy Haddix, in 1999 and the two made their home in Oakland. Both attorneys, they enjoyed talking shop at the dinner table, spending time outdoors with their dogs, and traveling in the US and abroad.
A diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in 2016 forced George into retirement at the age of 72. He faced his illness with resilience, optimism, and a positive spirit, often cheering on the Warriors during hospital stays and joking with the medical staff. Thanks to a life-saving stem cell transplant from his brother Jim, he enjoyed six years of remission and good health. The disease reemerged in 2022. Undaunted, George underwent further treatment and achieved two more years of remission before a brief relapse in the summer of 2024 took his life.
George was beloved for his infectious sense of humor, making people laugh out loud, often to the point of belly aches or tears, with his stories and quick wit. He was an avid reader and a patron of the arts, exploring galleries, listening to live music, going to the movies, and enjoying the Bay Area culinary scene. An athlete in his prime, George completed four marathons and enjoyed scuba diving, skiing, and weekend trips to Lake Tahoe. He also appreciated life's simple pleasures: a burger from Red's Java House and a good cup of black coffee; watching TV with a dog on his lap; preparing soups and pies from scratch; having adventures with his grandchildren; making his regular Sunday calls to family; and buying his weekly lottery tickets and scratchers. He had an eagle eye for finding lost money on his daily walks around Lake Merritt, and never passed up a shiny coin discarded on the street. His calm, level-headed demeanor made him a trusted source of advice on matters of law and life, and his presence will be dearly missed.
George is survived by his wife, Amy; his children, Todd and Laura; his grandchildren, Hailey, Sophia, and Trapper; and his siblings, Jim, Patricia, Donald, and Margaret. The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the medical teams at UCSF Parnassus Campus, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center in Berkeley for their compassionate and expert care.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Salvation Army and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in George's honor. A celebration of George's life will be held in 2025 (date to be announced).