David Cameron Beckwith

David Cameron Beckwith died on October 2 in his home in Austin, Texas, at the age of 79, after a courageous but brief battle with lung cancer. He was very proud of his two daughters, Fleur and Valeah, and was cherished by his wife Susan. He is also survived by his many circles of friends, to whom he was known by a number of nicknames -- Mate, Beck, Buck, Buckster, and Outback, to name a few.

Born in Everett, Washington, he was raised with his younger brother, Jeff -- his partner in mischief -- by their loving parents Rhoda and Cameron. The family lived in several parts of the country during David's childhood, and he made an impression wherever he went. In only two years at Lyons Township High School in Illinois he made close friends with whom he kept in frequent touch throughout his life. The newspaper he edited there was recognized with a national award.

He made many more lifelong friends at Carleton College, where he majored in History in 1964. He continued his education at Columbia University with a Masters in Journalism the following year. He worked as a newspaper reporter for several years before attending the University of Texas School of Law, where he received his law degree in 1971.

David was hired by Time Magazine, where he covered legal affairs, economics, the White House, and politics, as well as serving two years as a foreign correspondent in Cairo, in his 17-year tenure with the magazine. During that period, he was also the founding editor of the first commercial legal newspaper, the Legal Times, in 1978 in Washington DC.

After more than two decades as a journalist, David began government service, serving for four years as press secretary to Vice President Dan Quayle. As David himself later recounted: "Among the battles fought by Mr. Beckwith during that tenure were encounters with Murphy Brown, the trial lawyers and various revisionist methods of spelling 'potato.' "

David supervised communications and issues for former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's successful 1993 and 1994 statewide campaigns, and worked with her several more times through his career. In 1995, he moved to the private sector for a number of years. He continued making his mark on the Texas political scene until his retirement in the late 2000s, working with U.S. Senators Hutchison, Cornyn, and Cruz, among others.

A wise, honest, and generous mentor to many throughout his working life and retirement, David was always ready to share his assessment of a situation, and probably throw in a joke or two as well. After retiring, he also could be found twice a day at Zilker Park with his dogs, to whom he was devoted. He loved road trips, and arranging happy and memorable holidays and outings for his family. In 2014, David took on a new role as grandfather -- or "Poppy" -- to grandson Rorik and later granddaughter Brynja. He enjoyed living in Austin during the final decades of his life, laughing with friends and family every day.