Saul Beck

Saul Beck passed away on Sunday, December 11th, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his daughter Audrey Beck and three granddaughters Rachel, Sara, and Leah Goldstein. He lived 106 blessed years.

Saul was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1916 to parents Adolph and Anna Beck who had immigrated through Ellis Island from Austro-Poland. He was the youngest of fourteen children. He was a part of the Emanuel Brotherhood, a community group for young Jewish boys and loved to recount stories of his handball tournament victories. Saul was a scholar and prolific writer, he received admission to NYU, but chose to attend a semester at CCNY instead because of the costly tuition. He ended up leaving college after his father passed away to support his family. He always put family first.

The family moved to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn where they had many memories of sunny beach days. Saul commuted into Manhattan for a nickel to work at his job at Whelan’s Pharmacy in Midtown. He worked several odd jobs with his brothers before working at the Bayonne Naval Depot during World War II. It was not long after that he met the love of his life, Anna Beck, on a blind-date from a mutual friend. They went out dancing and Saul could not keep up with Anna who was a flamenco dancer from Oran, Algeria. They married in June of 1956 and had their daughter, Audrey, the next year.

Saul’s greatest passion was his job. He started working for a large publishing company Harcourt Brace Jovanovich on a publication called Quick Frozen Foods. He loved attending industry conventions and writing opinion pieces for the magazine. He was a wise businessman, always driven to get a sale. He became a distinguished member of the Frozen Food Industry, becoming a member of the Zerocrats and eventually inducted into the “Frozen Food Hall of Fame''. When he turned 75 years old, he acquired Quick Frozen Foods and founded Frozen Food Digest. At a time where most people were looking to settle down and retire, Saul was always looking ahead for what was next. Saul worked as publisher for the entirety of his life, publishing his final issue this last year. He also worked on an auto-biography called How to get to 104… And more! with the help of his granddaughters, where he discussed what it took for him to get past his centennial.

Saul loved his family and loved food. He especially liked when both were together, he always said “the world would be a better place if families all sat down to eat dinner together every night”. Saul and Anna were famously known in their Murray Hill neighborhood to be the first customer when local restaurants opened. Throughout their sixty-three year long marriage, they never sat in silence and always had something to talk about. Saul and Anna loved going to the movies at the Kips Bay Movie theater, often taking their granddaughters with them to see new films. When Saul would meet someone new in his neighborhood, whether it was a neighbor or a cashier, he would always make it a mission to get to know them. He taught his family the value of getting to know others and always being kind to one another.

Saul lit up any room he walked into. He could make anyone laugh. Sometimes he would burst into song, many of the songs he wrote himself in his spare time. He inspired his grandchildren to always follow their dreams. Although he had overcome many hardships in life, it never stopped him from having a smile on his face and hope in his heart. Even when he lost his soulmate Anna in 2019, he promised his family that he would be strong and move forward for them. He never looked at his age as something that could stop him, but as something that made him stronger. He was a truly incredible man on his own, but never stopped crediting his family for giving him strength.

The loss that Saul has left in this world is unimaginable. Saul touched so many lives. His family has promised to honor him by living their lives like he would, to their fullest. He will be deeply missed.

A special thank you to Sharmaine, who so devotedly cared for him for years.