Larson Dale Beck MD's Obituary
With sadness, the family of Larson Dale Beck announces his passing after 93 years of a life filled with accomplishments.
Dale was born in 1931, in the depths of the Great Depression, to Gladys Thelma (nee Gray) and Carson Wiley Beck. He was the second of their four sons, each of whom eventually attained advanced degrees even though their parents had very little formal education. Carson Beck was fortunate to have a job at a local hosiery mill, working long hours to support the family, while Gladys took care of the household, and both instilled a strong work ethic and the importance of family in their sons. Dale was blessed with athletic talent and a keen intellect. He attended Howard High School, starting for the football, baseball, and basketball teams while also earning top honors in the classroom. In both his junior and senior years of high school, Dale received the Hume Award, an honor that recognizes the most outstanding football player in Metro Nashville in the areas of sportsmanship, scholarship, and football ability. He was one of only two football players to earn the Hume twice and he was ultimately inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame in 2014, at a ceremony attended by his high school coach!
Dale Beck attended Vanderbilt University on an athletic scholarship for football and baseball. A leg injury in the spring training session as a freshman cut short his football career at Vanderbilt but he continued to excel in baseball. Dale played one season of minor league baseball for a New York Yankees’ farm team before deciding that baseball was not a career path for him and returning to college. Because he had been paid by the Yankees, he had to forfeit his athletic scholarship, but he used the money he earned from the Yankees, supplemented by a job at the Nashville Banner, to pay for the rest of his Vanderbilt education. During his time at Vandy, he met Mary Fergus, a student at Peabody Teachers’ College. They married September 12, 1953, and would go on to celebrate their 70-year anniversary in 2023. Dale joined the U.S. Navy following his graduation from Vanderbilt, attended officer training school, and spent a tour of duty in the Philippines following the Korean War. Following his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Dale went to medical school at the University of Tennessee while Mary taught elementary school. Following graduation from medical school he completed a residency in otolaryngology and became the first ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist in the Madison, Tennessee area. Dale would go on to practice medicine in the same location for over 26 years before his retirement. He had a great love of ENT and was an outstanding surgeon who earned admiration and respect from his patients, as evidenced by the gifts and notes of thanks he received from them. His love of medicine would inspire two of his three children, Allen and Mary Ellen to go on to become doctors as well.
Dale would spend his retirement years with Mary supporting their children and grandchildren. His love of sports continued with his favorite hobby, golfing, but he also enjoyed fishing, hunting, and water skiing. He was happiest when a member of the family had any kind of success or achievement, regardless how small it might be. He will be remembered as physician, husband and father who made his wife, children and grandchildren very proud indeed.
In addition to his wife Mary and extended family, Dale is survived by his children and grandsons: Nancy; Allen and his wife Jayne Ann and their sons Andrew and Kevin; Mary Ellen and her husband Walter and their sons JB and George. He was predeceased by his parents and his brothers Don, Dick and Bob. A memorial service will be held at Memorial Park Funeral Home, Fireside Chapel, 5668 Poplar Ave Memphis TN 38119 Sunday August 18th at 2:00 PM.
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