Utah – Gilbert “Gib” Beckwith died June 3, 2006. He battled lymphoma and MDS over the past decade, always gaining the upper hand until his last bout with leukemia. Gilbert Ernest Beckwith was born Oct. 3, 1938, in Fort Fairfield, to Lawrence and Delia (Gilley) Beckwith. He graduated from Fort Fairfield High School in 1956 and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. After graduation from Northeastern, he worked for Fraser Paper in Madawaska, as a chemical engineer and operations manager for 20 years. He joined St. Regis/Champion Paper in 1981, working in Bucksport, St. Cloud, Minn. and finally Stamford, Conn., where he was the vice president of manufacturing for Champion International until 2000. He retired in 2000 and moved with his wife, Carol, to Draper, Utah, where he was assured the best skiing in the world in Alta. An avid and accomplished skier since his early 20s, he taught both his daughters to ski at a young age so he always had skiing buddies. He spent many years skiing at Sugarloaf/USA in Carrabassett Valley, and was a founding member of the Polish “B” Ski Team. He began road cycling in the late 1980s, which kept him active when there was no snow, clocking thousands of miles in Minnesota, Connecticut and Utah. He especially enjoyed riding organized centuries. In later years, Gib developed an interest in genealogy and his family roots. He has left to both close and distant family, a complete history of the family since the arrival of Beckwiths in the United States. His willingness to take on the role of coach and mentor to those seeking advice or guidance, whether it be in engineering, business or skiing, has been valued by many over the years. Gib was always willing to share his wisdom and was always one to enjoy a good story or joke. His best friends, neighbors and family are already missing his sense of humor and zest for life. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carol (Culberson); their two daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and George Rodriguez of Mission Viejo, Calif. and Cynthia Beckwith and Ryan Dutcher of Portland, Ore.; great-pets, Simon, Rudy and Brandy; younger siblings, Lawrence Beckwith of Temperance, Mich. and Carolyn Beckwith of Randolph; as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, at Our Lady of the Snows Center, 10189 East Highway 210, Alta, Utah. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, National Mail Processing Center, P.O. Box 6003, Albert Lea, MN 56007-6603 or Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202.
GILBERT ERNEST BECKWITH
