Uncle Rod's Obituary

Rodric C. Beckham
Rodric C. Beckham "Stalag 17 Prisoner of War" Rodric Charles Beckham, 93, a former prisoner of war in Germany's Stalag 17 during World War II, died Saturday, June 21, 2008 in Lakewood of causes incident to age. Mr. Beckham was born November 27, 1914 in Chandler, Arizona, the son of Charles Marvin Beckham and Quintella Spurlock Beckham. He was the first child born in the newly incorporated town of Chandler. He played football and other sports and graduated from Chandler High School in 1933, aft er which he worked in air conditioning and the fruit industry in Arizona and California. When World War II started, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became the crew chief of a B-17 bomber in the European Theatre. His plane was shot down over France in 1943, and he parachuted from it holding a wounded comrade whose parachute had been damaged. His leg was shattered when he landed, and he always credited German doctors for their expertise in repairing what could have been a permanent injury. He spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of the Germans in the famous Stalag 17 concentration camp. Years later, he and other prisoners of war played in the movie, "Stalag 17," which starred William Holden. He attended the 63rd annual reunion last month in Tucson, Arizona, with other surviving Stalag 17 prisoners of war. They were freed by the Allies on May 5, 1945. Following World War II, he moved to Los Angeles and worked in several motion picture studios as an electrician and plumber. He then moved to Long Bea ch, where he owned and operated an appliance repair business for nearly for thirty years. He was a member of the Elks Lodge in Long Beach and a member of the Lakewood St. Pancratius Church. He married Mildred Jancar on October 17, 1949. She preceded him in death on August 30, 2002. Two sisters, Anna Laree Beckham Self, of Prescott, Arizona, and Lorraine Beckham Ashe, of Encino, California, also preceded him in death. He is survived by his brother, Raymond E. Beckham, and his wife, Janette, of Provo, Utah; n ine nieces and nephews; and Mildred's sister, Ann Nelson, Laguna Woods, California. Funeral services will be held today, June 25, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at All Souls Mortuary, 4400 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, with viewing 1/2 hour prior to the services. Burial will be held at the Greenwood Memorial Park, I-805 and Imperial Ave, San Diego, California at 3:00 p.m. that same day. His parents and wife, and his sister, Lorraine, are buried there.

Bryce's Birthday

I've been meaning to post of picture of Bryce on his birthday, but I procrastinate. So here it is. I made him an icecream cake -- yes, you can be impressed, but don't -- because it was super easy. And next year, Heidi, this will become your job. :)