Richard Searle Beckhart's Obituary
Richard (“Rick”) Beckhart, aged 81 years, passed away peacefully at home with
his family on November 2, 2025.
Rick was born on November 28, 1945 in Decatur, Illinois. He attended Illinois
State University where he met his wife, Sherry. They married on December 17, 1966.
After graduation, with the prospect of being drafted into the Army during Vietnam, Rick made the decision to apply for Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) with Sherry
following suit. They joined together as the first married couple to do so on August 28, 1967. Following their commissioning, they traveled to San Diego, CA reporting to their respective first duty stations, Rick to the USS Cleveland and Sherry to VF 121 at NAS Miramar. From that first assignment, in lock step, they spent the next 25 years serving their country while living in countries like Japan and Korea, places that a farm kid from central Illinois could hardly imagine seeing.
Rick and Sherry retired together on July 1, 1992 after serving 25 years in the
Navy. Rick continued a life of service, teaching in the business school at San Diego
High School for 17 years. There, he conceptualized and opened a student-run store
selling coffee, soda, snacks, bagels and pizzas. The store generated enough revenue
to award scholarships to deserving students in the School of Business.
Outside of his work life, Rick was an avid baseball fan from childhood following
the Brooklyn Dodgers with his father and older brother, Jim. When Petco Park, the
home of the Padres, opened in San Diego, he became a season ticket holder. In
addition to baseball, he was a lover of the performing arts - everything from
Shakespeare to avant-garde to Broadway musicals. He cherished time spent at the
theater with Sherry and passed this love on to his children and grandchildren.
Rick selflessly served his community, recently receiving his 6,000 volunteer-hour
award as a Docent on the USS Midway Museum. There was nothing he enjoyed more than the Saturday morning watch leading tours in the engine room and teaching visitors about steam. He also served as a chair of the Board of Trustees at the First United Methodist Church in Chula Vista and chair of the scholarship committee. He was instrumental in establishing the Men’s Maintenance Ministry as well.
Those who knew Rick knew that he was a stickler for physical fitness. Before
most were up every morning, he had done his stretches and his twelve-minute planks.
He then went to the gym to swim 3,000 yards and still had plenty of gas to walk his
black labrador, Pepper, three and a half miles. In the last couple of years, Rick pared
down his workout; however, even after his hospitalization, he was still doing four- minute planks! His tenacity was admired by many.
Rick is survived by his wife, Sherry, son, Michael (Christy), daughter, Samantha
and grandchildren, Paul and Sydney. He will forever be remembered by his loved ones as a “glass half full” kind of guy who was always “just peachy”.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Rick’s honor to
the USS Midway Museum.
What’s your fondest memory of Richard?
What’s a lesson you learned from Richard?
Share a story where Richard's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Richard you’ll never forget.
How did Richard make you smile?
