In Memoriam: G. Patricia “Pat” Beckman
Local philanthropist passes away
G. Patricia “Pat” Beckman, 78, died at her home in Corona del Mar, Calif., in August 2011.
Beckman, the daughter of the late Dr. Arnold O. and Mabel M. Beckman, was the founding president and member of the Orange County Chapter of the ARCS Foundation, Inc. (Achievement Rewards for College Scholars). ARCS currently donates over $200,000 annually to UC Irvine in support of graduate students, with four to five students from The Henry Samueli School of Engineering being among those who receive fellowship support.
She was an active board member of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, a lifetime trustee of the California Institute of Technology, as well as a board member of the Caltech Chemical and Chemical Engineering Division. She was also a member of the UC Irvine Nursing Program Leadership Council and had served earlier on the UCLA School of Nursing Advisory Board.
Beckman was born on March 7, 1933, in New York City and lived briefly in Chicago before moving to California with her family at age three. She earned her B.S. in occupational therapy from Mills College and her B.S. in nursing from Cal State Los Angeles. She worked as an occupational therapist and registered nurse for many years.
An avid traveler, Beckman spent weeks and months at a time on her adventures around the world. She loved nature and hiking, gardening, reading and most of all encouraging young people in their pursuit of science and education. She was a quiet but very generous philanthropist. There are hundreds if not thousands of people she affected with her generosity and kindness.
She is survived by her brother Arnold S. Beckman; nephew Arnold W. Beckman and his wife, Pamela; nephew Kurt D. Beckman and his wife Cambria; three grandnephews, Nicholas, James and Jake Beckman; and one grandniece, Ashley White. There is also a large network of close family members who will miss her greatly.
The ARCS Foundation, Inc., Orange County Chapter, is holding a “Celebration of Pat’s Life” from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, 2011, at The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617. If you wish to attend, please R.S.V.P. to bahakal@cox.net. In lieu of flowers, donations in Pat’s memory can be made to : ARCS Foundation, Inc., Orange County Chapter, P.O. Box 10942, Newport Beach, CA 92658-0942.
