In Loving Memory of Donna Beck

It is with great sadness that I write of the passing of a truly wonderful lady, my wife, Donna Beck. Donna was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, an Air Force brat whose Dad was a pilot in the USAF Thunderbirds precision flying team. She traveled the world as a child and while her Dad was stationed stateside the family went on extended camping vacations. In later years when making plans for our trips she always had a twinkle in her eye remembering how wonderful it was when she was a child, telling me how much I would love wherever we were going regardless of where it was.

Our very first motor home was a Leisuretime class C which we used primarily to take vacations. Because work limited travel time we were forced to sell it; however, the good memories were always in the back of our minds. Once we retired from Southwestern Bell we bought a 12 year-old Newmar Kountry Star for vacation traveling. But it seemed like every time we went on vacation the longer we stayed away from house, lawn and pool chores and after three years of dreaming we finally took the plunge in 2007, sold the house, ordered a new Dutch Star and hit the road never to look back.

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As much as Donna enjoyed traveling, she most cherished the socializing and the lasting friendships made at rallies. In fact, it was at the NKK's Quartzite Gathering in the Desert where we fell in love with the concept of life on the road. The friendships gained there and at the following year's Gathering as well as the mentoring from the first fulltimer we met convinced us the dream was possible. It was with fulltimers, Newmar and others, that our closest friendships were developed.

In the end it was a number of close friends we were striving to see one last time when Donna passed on in her sleep due to complications of lung cancer and it was those loyal friends who were there to help me cope with my loss.

Donna never once allowed the diagnosis to alter her positive outlook on life in general and the fulltiming lifestyle in particular. She asked that I thank all of you for your kindness, your thoughts, your prayers and above all for gracing her with your friendship. Her life was all about others and her faith, but she was never overbearing about either. She counted herself as very fortunate and lucky. Donna did not complain about the hand she was dealt and in the end she was at peace with all that mattered.....her family, her friends and her God.