Thomas Horton Beckett

Tom was born in Bay Shore, NY, on March 21, 1947 to the late Virginia McIlveen Horton and Donald Whitney Beckett. He attended Duke University, where he met Linda Brooke Smith, who would become his wife of 43 years. He graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and was selected by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover for duty at Naval Reactors (a joint program of the Department of the Navy and the Department of Energy, with responsibility for the reactors aboard all US naval nuclear-powered warships). During his military tour he earned the equivalent of a master’s degree in nuclear engineering at the Bettis Reactor Engineering School, and in 1981 earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The Catholic University of America.

Tom resigned his Navy commission in 1974 and continued to work as a civilian at Naval Reactors until his retirement in 2006. During his career he served as the Naval Sea Systems Command Technical Representative at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, the Director for Regulatory Affairs at Naval Reactors, and was the Deputy Director of the Naval Reactors program from 1999 until his retirement.

He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Sigma Pi Sigma. He received the Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in 2002, the Catholic University Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 2006, and the Catholic University Alumni Achievement Award in 2012.

Tom is survived by his wife, Linda Brooke Smith Beckett; his children, Ashleigh Beckett Cannon and Michael Cannon of Apex, NC, Kennan Beckett Murray and Vince Murray of Haymarket, VA, and Daniel Beckett of Syracuse, NY; his brothers, Donald Whitney Beckett, Jr. and Robert Sampson Beckett; and his grandchildren, Will, Ella and Catie Cannon, and Ian, Colin and Brynn Murray.

The family will receive guests at his daughter Ashleigh’s home on Saturday, April 26 from 4-7 p.m. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Foundry United Methodist Church, Washington, DC. Inurnment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Wake County, Inc. or to the United States Navy Memorial.

Condolences may be sent to www.ApexFuneral.net.