Robert Beck

Robert L. “Bob” Beck, of Deerfield Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on October 4, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas, surrounded by family. He was 88.

Bob was born in Water Valley, Mississippi, to Walter F. Beck Sr. and Willie Mae (Brower) Beck. He was one of five children and is predeceased by his brothers Walter F. (Dub) Beck Jr. and William (Bill) Beck, and his sister Louella (Sis) Fair. He is survived by his sister Ida Browning.

Bob married Theresa “Terry” Beck (née Ferraro), who predeceased him. Together they raised three children: Donna Ferguson (Danny), Elesa Hayden (Shannon, dec.), and Robert D. Beck (Teresa). He was a proud grandfather to Kelsey Ferguson, Cameron Hayden, Spencer Beck, and Zachary Beck, and leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

After the passing of his wife Terry, Bob found joy and companionship with Nicoletta Sorice, who also recently predeceased him. He was embraced as part of her family and shared a special bond with her children, Sabato (Kathy) Sorice, Teresa (Robert) Hunt, and Maria (Norberto) Garcia, as well as her grandchildren, Matthew (Rachel) Hunt, Isabella Garcia and Paolo Garcia

After graduating from Water Valley High School, Bob joined the U.S. Army and served honorably with the Signal Corps in Germany. Following his service, he built a lifelong career in electronics, working for several companies and eventually owning two Radio Shack franchise stores in Arkansas. He held a Master Electrician license in both Arkansas and Florida as well as an Advanced Amateur Radio License. He and Terry lived and raised their family in New York City for many years before moving to Arkansas, and later to Florida, where Bob continued in the electronics field and eventually ran his own hobby electronics business while in “retirement”.

Bob had a lifelong love of travel and adventure. During his time in the Army, he was stationed in Germany, which sparked his appreciation for seeing new places and cultures. That passion continued throughout his life as his career in electronics and defense contracting took him across the United States and around the world. He traveled extensively through Europe and Asia for work, and he even had the opportunity to bring his family to Germany for a year and a half while he was working there on assignment. Some of his family’s fondest memories are the two week summer road trips they took together from New York to Memphis to Florida, visiting relatives and creating stories they still share to this day.

Bob was also an accomplished pilot and instructor of both airplanes and helicopters. He often said he had always wanted to learn to fly, and when the opportunity came through the GI Bill, he eagerly pursued it. Flying became one of the greatest joys of his life—he loved everything about airplanes, from the mechanics to the freedom of being in the sky. His passion for aviation was so inspiring that his grandson Spencer followed in his footsteps and also became a pilot, carrying forward Bob’s love of flying into the next generation.

He will be remembered for his devotion to country, his family, his adventurous spirit, his wit and timing with a ready joke and his passion for learning and teaching. He was deeply loved, loved big and will be greatly missed.