Roger Beck

Beck, RogerRoger Beck, prominent local journalist and public relations counselor, has died. He was age 88 years old.According to his widow Barbara, Beck succumbed to ravages of age on December 15,2009 at his home in Big Bear, California.Born in Pittsburgh, PA to Jules Beck, a noted boxing promoter, and his wife Flora, Beck joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1940 after graduating high school and spent the next 5 and ½ years in the armed forces.Upon discharge, he came to California to join his parents who had relocated to Redondo Beach, and shortly thereafter he began his journalistic career at the South Bay Daily Breeze, in Redondo Beach, where in time he became assistant city editor.After a short stint at the Associated Press, he joined the founding staff of the Los Angeles Mirror where he was a police reporter, pop music columnist and assistant city editor until the paper ceased publication in 1962.Hired as a publicist by the local office of Chicago-based Harshe Rotman Druck three days later, he served such clients as Mattel and Hertz for five years before leaving to open his own agency in Sherman Oaks in 1968.For the next 32 years he served such clients as Avis Rent A...[more]

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Car, California Plant Protection and a variety of trial lawyer associations and chiropractic societies. Among his numerous awards and citations was Man of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America.In 1990 he went into semi-retirement and relocated to Big Bear City where he went to work at The Grizzly as a featured writer and columnist. His last job was as a featured writer for the Chino Champion, ending in 2004.He is survived by his widow, Barbara, his brother Murray (Marilyn) of Chicago, son,Mark Beck and his wife Bonnie of Pasadena CA, daughter, Andrea Althoff and her husband Jim of St. Louis MO, granddaughter, Brittany R. Howell, of New Jersey, granddaughter, Jeorgea Beck, in Los Angeles CA, grandson, Zachary Beck, of New York City, grandsons Harry L.Althoff and Daniel R. Althoff of St. Louis MO grandson, John P. Howell, of Fullerton, stepson,David L. Feller, (Debra) of New Hampshire, and numerous cousins in the San Fernando Valley and La Quinta.In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that friends honor RogerÂ's memory through donations to Camp Max Straus, a non-denominational summer camp for underserved children,owned and operated by Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters (Tax ID 95-169009), 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323-456-1165 or www.jbbbsla.org. Please indicate that the donation is in memory of Roger Beck.