Dr. Robert “Bob” Louis Beckler, 86, passed away Monday, August 21, 2023 at Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare.
Born April 11, 1937 to Samuel Louis and Estella Webb Beckler, Bob grew up in Jefferson, OH, west of Wooster, and attended Oak Chapel UMC. After graduating from Wooster High School, Bob served in the Army as a medic and later earned dual Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Denver. He went on to achieve a Doctorate in Public Health from UCLA in 1979.
Bob’s professional career included manager the Public Inebriate Detox Program and director of the Employee Assistance Program at the City of Long Beach, working as a psychotherapist and teaching social work at Cal State Long Beach. He retired in 2001.
Bob was an avid birder and traveler, having extensively explored six of seven continents. Bob travelled the world into his late seventies in search of rare and exotic wildlife.
In the 80’s, he began competitive ballroom dancing and won several trophies. Bob loved acting and appeared as an extra in a number of feature films and television shows. He wrote, produced, directed and acted in several film projects after retirement. He won the Karl Malden Award for Excellence in production managing.
In the 2000’s, Bob volunteered at Los Angeles Oiled Bird Center and Providence Little Company of Mary Hospital.
Bob was a good friend and leader to many, and a cherished family member. Bob is survived by his former wife Ellen Foster Enochs of Pennsylvania, his sister Connie Garg of Wooster, nephew Avinash (Laura) Garg of Wooster and numerous cousins.
He was preceded in death by his brother James Beckler.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Oak Chapel United Methodist Church, 4203 W Old Lincoln Way, Wooster with Pastor John Finn officiating. Private burial will be held at Wooster Cemetery at the convenience of the family.
Friends will be received 1 hour prior to the service at the church.
McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home, 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster is assisting the family.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be directed to Ohio’s Hospice LifeCare, 1900 Akron Rd., Wooster, OH 44691.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com
Bob, you were my oldest cousin. I always admired you. You would put up with us younger cousins. Love you and I’ll miss you. Love,Val
My sincere condolences to you, Avi and Laura on the passing of Bob. You and Avi were very wonderful in getting him back to Wooster so he could be with his family in his last days. Just remember he is no longer in pain and is now with his heavenly family and our Lord and Savior! My prayers are with you during this time of grief.God loves you and so do I!
No buddies like old army buddies. I am glad Bob was my friend since 1964. RIP
I volunteered at Little Conpany of Mary with Bob. He trained me. When I left the hospital, he would often call to check in on me.
He was such a wonderful man and will be missed dearly.
My condolences to his friends and family.
So many happy times growing up with Bob, Connie, and Jim.
Fond memories going clear back to World War II!
Good by, Cousin. You were the best.
He was one of my dad’s ( Lothar Graudins) best friend and adventure buddy. He was kind and entertaining. I will miss him and I am so thankful to know him. I will miss hearing about his adventures.
Thank you for your service. Condolences to the family.
I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. What an exciting and well-rounded life he lived. I know how important he was to my mother. He will be greatly missed.
My sincere condolences to Avi, Connie and family. Bob was such a good man. He was my neighbor for 10 yrs. He loved the birds. I have found myself photographing birds and always think of Bob. Rest in peace and light.
You’ll surely be missed.
Connie and family, I’m so sorry for your loss. He certainly had an interesting life and I know you have many special memories of him. Healing and blessings to you all.
Bob was a friend and especially my Birding Buddy for many years when I lived in Southern California. We had many, many great trips together, including some far afield. There was a period when my back was so bad I couldn’t drive and he would drive my car, with me lying in the back, so that I could get out to places I would otherwise not be able to go. Bob was consistently upbeat. We kept in touch on and off by phone until recently. I will miss him!
Cousins in our circle where extensions of our own brothers and sisters. Bob, you were a sweetheart of a man. Give them all a hug for me!
Bob and I enjoyed searching all of Southern California – from the desert to the mountains to the ocean – for birds, rare and common. He had a phenomenal recollection of where he saw which birds where, and when. I enjoyed our conversations about how we volunteered our time and sharing our lifetime experiences. I will miss him very much. My condolences to all his friends and family.
I’m so sorry to hear of Bob’s passing. You all will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Condolences to the family of Bob Becker. I knew him socially and also as a wonderful boss of the Division of Rehabilitation at the Long Beach Health Dept. He was always fair and unflappable. He was the glue that kept us in touch even after most of us had moved on. He will be missed.
Bob was a longtime birding buddy and great friend to Mark and I. We did quite a bit of international travel together: to Mexico several times, Ecuador, Panama, Honduras, etc., in search of birds. When we moved to SE Arizona from southern California in 2015, he was a frequent visitor in our early days here, less so later on. On our twice yearly trips back to SoCal, we would always meet up for a breakfast or dinner together with Bob. We last saw him in January of this year, then spoke on the phone a couple of times after that. By the time we got back to California in late July, he had already been hospitalized for a bit and then transported back to Ohio, where he passed away under his family’s care. RIP old friend. We had some fun times together. Keep on dancing. You will be missed.
Well, Bob, my old friend, it is difficult to say goodbye after so many years of friendship and marvelous adventures. When we saw each other last, just a few short weeks ago in hospital, our lively talks of shared birding memories to distant lands like Tierra del Fuego, India, Africa, Fiji, Australia and Madagascar, were recalled with enthusiasm and enjoyment, as our words relived a life you lived so very well.
Your accomplishments in life were many, well beyond an impressive long list of world birds seen (you loved bird lists!). The earth years were well spent, ranging from a rural childhood (always enjoyed your pet opossum story!), to seminary school days, to those Army medic years, to being a smooth champion ballroom dancer, to making short movies, and especially to a well-earned doctorate degree from UCLA.
We met while lunching in eastern Texas, yet lived only a couple California miles apart, became fast friends and shared family times with you, Avi and Connie. You were a great travel companion and an enjoyable, positive friend. Carol and I will miss our visits, interesting agnostic discussions, travels, and certainly our many good laughs.
As the avid birder you were, it seems appropriate that your spirit will periodically glide overhead reminding your earthbound friends that you lived a full, energetic and wonderful life. We will glance up as a shadow passes over, remembering our times, as you freely soar in peace. Goodbye, my friend.
An extraordinary service on September 23rd for Bob, who was )and who is now in memory) clearly a remarkable person.
I knew Bob from his City of Long Beach days. We both retired about the same time in 2001. After retirement we became lunch buddies, consequently, although I never met his family nor his “birding friends” I knew of many of them and also knew many of his birding and family stories. Bob was “one of the good guys” and will be greatly missed by those who knew him.