Pauline Beck

Pauline M. (Hapgood) Beck entered into eternal rest on September 2, 2021 at the age of 87.

Pauline was born December 3, 1933 in Hanna, Wyoming to William and Jessie (Lucas) Hapgood. Her sisters include Patricia, Josephine and Sharon. She graduated from Hanna High School in 1951. A strong, determined and independent woman, she went on to attend Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado graduating with her Bachelor’s degree in the Sciences in 1955. Following graduation, she pursued her career at Denver General Hospital. She maintained her certification through much of her adult life. Pauline valued and was extremely proud of both her education and her career. Both were almost unheard of for women of that time.

While she was in college, she met Edward Beck at a joint social between students at Loretto Heights College (all women) and Colorado School of Mines (all men). They were married November 16, 1957. To this union were born Shawn (Robert) Simonsen, James Beck, Joseph (Andrea) Beck, Jessica (John) Stoll and Robert Beck. She has 6 grandchildren: Stephen Stoll, Michelle (Matt) Stoll McDole, Adam (Karissa) Simonsen, Patrick (Kristina) Simonsen, Edward (Johana) Beck and Brian Simonsen. She has 4 great granddaughters: Lauren and Emma Simonsen, Eliana Beck and Lyla McDole.

A devout Catholic, Pauline was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Parish for nearly 60 years. Her faith was extremely important to her and brought her immense comfort and joy.

Pauline was a wonderful homemaker, wife and mother. This vocation was one that she held in the highest esteem and the vocation of which she was most proud. She and Ed were married almost 44 years until the time of Ed's death in September 2001. She was extremely proud of her children and their accomplishments. She instilled in them the value of education, hard work and good behavior. She spent countless hours helping with homework, attending swim meets and practices, track meets, basketball games, vocal music performances, debate meets, plays and any other activities in which her children participated. Caring for her family on a shoestring budget, she canned, froze and baked thousands of pounds of food.

She loved to fish and was good at it. She loved the mountains and the life she built in Colorado. She and her family loved to camp and take road trips. She also valued her roots in Wyoming. She loved watching the birds and enjoyed her garden. Pauline was an accomplished seamstress, enjoyed crafts of all kinds and was an avid reader. With a firm belief that women can do anything a man can do, she fought for her right to take shop class in high school and took TV Repair through Adult Education. And a typical Wyoming woman, no one would ever deny her the right to vote or to vote the way she wanted.

Gone before her include her husband, Ed; her parents; her sisters Patricia and Josephine; brothers-in-law Rodney Cary, Gene Anderson and Curtis Melson; an infant daughter and her grandson, Stephen.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, her sister, Sharon, sister-in-law, Gladys Cary, many nieces and nephews and many friends.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Parish, 1985 Miller Street, Lakewood, Colorado on October 13, 2021 at 10:00am followed by burial at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Our Lady of Fatima Parish https://www.fatimalakewood.com/giving  or Alzheimer's Association https://act.alz.org/donate