Ralph Beck, 83, of Ridgefield, longtime resident of Greenwich, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Friday, July 8. He was the loving husband of the late Emily (Miller) Beck.
Ralph was born on Oct. 30, 1938, in New York, NY; a son of the late Paul and Meta (Koster) Beck. He was a distinguished alumnus of Penn State University’s Architectural school and a recipient of The Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award. He proudly served his country as a member of the US Navy, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant JG. He also completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Ralph was an executive at Turner Construction Company for 29 years, holding the positions of Sr. Vice President, and Chairman of Turner-Steiner International. After leaving Turner, he joined Kajima Construction Services where he held the title of President of the U.S. Building Group. He also served as Non-Executive Chairman of Pernix Group, Inc. Ralph’s work brought him to many places around the world, and during his travels, he acquired a love for the Asian countries and their culture. Ralph was an active reader and loved the challenge of completing the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles. He loved his time on Lake Ave. in Greenwich where he would spend his weekends working around the yard and playing with the dogs. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He lovingly cared for Emily during her prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Ralph is survived by his two sons: Michael Beck and his wife, Sally, and Jon Beck and his wife, Laura. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Andrew, Christina, Peter Beck, Jon Jr., Ryan, and Lilly Beck.
Funeral Services and interment will take place privately. Contributions in Ralph’s memory may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, michaeljfox.org. Kane Funeral Home is in care of arrangements.
