Evelyn Ruth Beck
12/27/1923 – 7/5/2020
Evelyn (Evie, as she always wanted to be known) was born in Elizabeth, NJ to Birger and Anna Louise Dahl. She grew up in Roselle Park, NJ and attended Roselle Park H.S. She spent most of her life in NJ with her husband of 54 years, Edwin (Edie) Beck. During their retirement, they moved to Florida where they spent many happy years together. In her last few years, Evie lived with her daughter, Lynne, in Phoenix, AZ.
Evelyn was an extraordinarily thoughtful, caring, and generous woman who devoted much of her life to volunteering for numerous organizations, including Pt. Pleasant Hospital (NJ), East Bay Hospital (FL), NJ school systems, and nursing homes in Florida. She was also a talented artist—she crocheted countless blankets for family, friends, and organizations. She created beautiful needlepoint pictures and wrote tender poems, mostly about her family and life events, many of which were published in the Freehold Transcript Newspaper in the 1950s. Evie’s characteristic smile was a window into her beautiful soul. Forever generous, thoughtful, and adaptable, she lived “every day to the fullest”. Throughout her long life of supporting others, she truly was the “wind beneath the wings” of many grateful souls, who will carry her memory in their hearts forever.
Evelyn is survived by her loving children, Wayne Beck and Lynne Moritz, and was a devoted grandmother to Lauren Stockholm, and Becky, Anna, Ruth, and Leah Moritz. She was also the cherished great-grandmother of Jasper, Keegan, Meredith, Christopher, and Caroline. Evelyn was predeceased by her beloved husband Edwin, and her brother, Raymond Dahl.
The precious book of poems she hand wrote contained one particular page, poem #36, on which she wrote “This is my epitaph—I’d like that”:
“If I should die before you dear, do not grieve me.
For the life that I had was all your love, believe me.
Let there be no sadness in your final farewell.
Although your heart may be heavy for a spell.
Let the sadness dwindle into quiet peace.
I’ll be happy knowing your love will never cease.
I loved life with all its sunny days.
I loved laughter and fun, always.
So let there be no sadness in any heart so dear.
For we will meet once more in yonder year.”
Evelyn R. Beck
Evelyn epitomized a “life well-lived” as described in the poem, “The Dash”; she appreciated and was grateful for all of the blessings in her life. She was so very kind, and she gave herself fully to others during her precious time on this earth… her 96 year “dash” (12/27/1923 – 7/5/2020).
“The Dash”
(Linda Ellis)
I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning…to the end
He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth
For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while
So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?