Neil E. Beckwith

Sept. 29, 1937 - March 9, 2012
SOUTH BEND - Neil E. Beckwith, 74, of South Bend, died Friday, March 9th, in his residence. He is survived by his son, Bruce Beckwith, MD; daughter-in-law, Nancy Lee; and three grandchildren, Julia, Ryan and Andrew Beckwith of Andover, MA; and his sister, Mary Beckwith Prescott of Lakeland, FL. Neil was born in South Bend to G. Willard and Lucille Beckwith (nee Ferree) in 1937. He attended Riley High School and went on to earn a B.S. in Engineering Sciences from Purdue University. His first job was at the Bendix Corporation in Mishawaka, where he worked on the Talos missile system. He subsequently earned a Master's degree in business from Michigan State and a Ph.D. in Marketing from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue, where he studied under Frank M. Bass, who had a profound effect on his future path in life. His thesis and subsequent research is regarded as a seminal body of work on statistical methods in Marketing. Once he had earned his doctorate, he joined the business school faculty at Columbia University. While at Columbia, Neil served as a consultant with the Federal Trade Commission Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation, where he was instrumental in changing regulations regarding comparative advertising. His next position was as a faculty member at the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, which he held until he was recruited to become the Vice President of Marketing for ARA Services (now Aramark), a national diversified service company headquartered in Philadelphia. Neil suffered a heart attack at age 45 and approached cardiac rehabilitation with his typical intensity, walking 25,000 miles in three years. Following this, he rejoined the work force as Vice President of Marketing at Deluxe Check Corporation. After his time in Minnesota, he returned to South Bend and academics, becoming a member of the University of Notre Dame Business School faculty until his retirement. An avid cyclist and amateur astronomer, Neil eagerly looked forward to his annual winter trip to Florida, where he would ride his bicycle during the day and spend the evening gazing at the heavens. Arrangements are being handled by the Welsheimer Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held in late spring, details will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Astronomers Without Borders or the bicycle advocacy group Rails to Trails Conservancy may be made. Condolences may be expressed via the Welsheimer website: http://www.welsheimer.com. Astronomers without Borders website: http://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/ Rails to Trails Conservancy website: http://www.railstotrails.org/