Thomas Richard Becker

Thomas “Tom” Richard Becker, 70, passed away unexpectedly on May 26, 2023. Tom was born in Amsterdam, New York on April 25, 1953, to Gerald and Alice Becker. His family relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida and eventually to Phoenix, Arizona. Tom often spoke fondly about the fun camping trips with his parents and siblings. He shared the experience of traveling with his family to the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Tom cherished the time he and his brother sold newspapers at the Daytona 500, which gained them free entry to the race.

He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in software engineering. Tom was employed at Motorola for nineteen years as a software development engineer. He worked for the Chandler Unified School District as a substitute math teacher and for various software companies following the massive layoffs at Motorola. He retired two years ago from Eberle Design, Inc.

Tom met his future wife, Christine Gomez, at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona, in a young adults program, named Prime Time. He was a parishioner and served with Christine in various ministries. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on May 7th.

He was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his wife, daughter Kimberly Becker, and son David Becker. He is also survived by his brother Don (Irene) Becker, sisters Barbara Becker, Valerie (Larry) Watkins, and Maureen (Tom) Dollente, as well as several nieces and nephews.

Tom enjoyed traveling around the world with his best friend and later his family. Cruising and flying to different scenic countries created some wonderful memories. Tom and his wife would have completed seven cruises by next year, including one to Amsterdam, Netherlands to celebrate his retirement and their anniversary.

Tom was the grill master! His prime specialty were hotdogs, or as he called them “Da’s dogs.” Kimberly and David enjoyed roasting marshmallows with him as a delicious treat. We will certainly miss his grilling!

Tom was a dedicated, loving husband and father. He often surprised his wife with roses from their garden and enjoyed watching Hallmark movies together. Tom was always present at any of his children’s school concerts and activities. He took pride in preparing his children for their higher educational pursuits. He encouraged his son to pursue his passion in aviation and obtain a private pilot license. David and Tom shared a common interest in visiting airports and attending airshows. Tom and his daughter loved bears, especially Winnie the Pooh, and Build-A-Bear Workshop. He often took the entire family to Spring Training games in the Valley when his children were young.

He was an avid collector of model trains, planes, and cars. His other hobby was building remote control cars and planes. He followed sports, including NASCAR, Formula One, and IMSA.

Tom will be greatly missed. We were very blessed to have him in our lives. May he rest in peace.

Visitation, rosary, and Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, June 29, at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 1730 W. Guadalupe Road, Mesa, Arizona. Visitation 9:30 – 10:00 a.m., rosary 10:00 – 10:30 a.m., and Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m. Burial to follow at Resthaven/Carr-Tenney Mortuary & Memorial Gardens, 4310 E. Southern Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.resthavencarrtenney.com for the Becker family.