Obituary of Joseph Becker

Joe A. Becker, beloved husband of Gerry, and loving father of Barbara, Becky and Sandy, passed away Sunday, June 23, 2013. Joe was born Joseph Aloysius Becker, Jr., March 17, 1918 in Marietta, Ohio, to Jack and Ruth Holbrook Becker. Because his father was in the oilfield equipment business, the family moved numerous times during the height of the East Texas and Oklahoma oil booms. The family had several Tulsa residences, including one near John Burroughs Elementary School and another across from Woodward Park. He attended Burroughs and Lincoln Elementary Schools and Roosevelt Junior High School. He graduated in 1936 from high school in Houston, Texas and attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute in Lafayette, Louisiana where he studied engineering. During World War II he worked as a draftsman in the Consolidated Ship Yard in Orange, Texas, helping design systems for destroyers. His brother, Dick, was aboard the submarine SS Dorado when it was lost in 1943. Joe captained a shrimp boat in the Gulf of Mexico, built and operated a photo finishing plant in Dennison, Texas, worked in a salmon cannery in Sitka, Alaska, and worked in the carburetion business in Texas before he met Gerry Kinne, whom he married in Dallas, Feb. 27, 1954. From his teen years he had a passion for sailing, which rose out of his initial introduction as a Sea Scout. The Sea Scout ship (the Sea Scout term for troop) converted an old lifeboat they had purchased into a sailboat. He told of sailing on lakes in Louisiana and Texas, and on the Sabine River. He salvaged and rebuilt, or built, several boats after that, settling on the International Snipe class in the late early 1950's. In 1955, Joe and Gerry moved to Tulsa so that he could join his father in the oilfield equipment supply business, which they called Becker Sales Co., but his love of sailing resulted in his changing professions again. He and Gerry established Tulsa Sail-Craft in 1966, first selling Snipes and Dolphins out of the backyard, and when he needed a larger shop and a place to stock equipment and accessories they rented space at 1712 E. Latimer Court in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In the mid 1970's they moved to 8153 E. 44rd St., and finally in 1977 purchased the old Dale Carter Lumber Company building, locating Tulsa Sail-Craft at 4411 S. Sheridan, with a large ship's store, a full-service shop, and an indoor space for raising masts on sailboats of all sizes. Daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Kevin Meehan joined the business in 1979, and the family-like crew of employees through the years included another son-in-law, Van Luster. In 1975 and 1976, Joe won the Catalina 22 National Championships. And in 1975, Catalina Yachts arranged for him to sail against the British champion at Windycrest Sailing Club on Lake Keystone. Joe then won the only Catalina 22 International Championship competition. Through the years Joe competed in Central States Sailing Association (regional) regattas, state championships and other regattas, but he was the dedicated participant in twenty-six Catalina 22 National Regattas, developing lifelong friendships with those who served as his crew and with his competitors. He was an active member of the White Rock Sailing Club in Dallas, then Sequoyah Yacht Club on Lake Yahola in Tulsa, Tsa-La-Gi Yacht Club on Lake Ft. Gibson, and Windycrest, where he and Gerry were some of the original members. He served as regatta chairman of the Catalina 22 National Championships in 1986 at Tsa-La-Gi and in 1993 and 1999, at Windycrest. In 1998 because of his promotion of sailing throughout northeast Oklahoma, his support of the Windycrest Sailing Club, and his touching the lives of nearly every sailor in the area, the Club recognized Joe with the Spirit of Windycrest Award. Tulsa Sail-Craft continued operation until Feb. 1998, selling thousands of Catalina 22s, Hobie Cats, Sunfish and other sailboats to area sailors. Sometimes they would take a boat in on trade for a larger boat that they had previously sold to a customer, resulting in reselling the same boat numerous times. When Joe was approaching 80 and there was less demand for new boats, the family closed the business and sold the building. Joe enjoyed competing in regattas or sailing club races, and worked to improve his finishing positions throughout the approximately 60 years of sailing Snipes, then the Flying Scot, and finally the Catalina 22. On June 27, Tim Stanley wrote a tribute to Joe in the Tulsa World, "Tulsan was champion of winds", also titled "Joe Becker 1918-2013: Tulsan was two-time national sailing champion, five-time Oklahoma champ." He is survived by his wife, Gerry, and daughters, Barbara (Mrs. Kevin) Meehan, Becky Luster and husband Van of Tulsa, and Sandy and husband Jeff of Tulsa, his sister, Sara Becker (Mrs. John) Coleman of Murrieta, California. He also leaves grandchildren, Erin Meehan and Lisa Meehan of Tulsa, James Luster of Tulsa, Brian and wife Chelsea Andrews of Tulsa, Jarrod and wife Rhiannon Andrews of Kiefer, and Alex Andrews of Tulsa, as well as nephew Rich and wife Jo Ann Coleman of Murrieta, CA. He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Holbrook "Dick" Becker, and his son-in-law, Kevin Meehan. His final resting place will be the Columbarium at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. Memorial donations can be made to Clarehouse, www.clarehouse.org, or the John Burroughs Elementary School Fund at Boston Avenue Methodist Church, 1301 S. Boston, Tulsa 74103.