David Jerome Becker died peacefully on May 1st at VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach, surrounded by his loving family.

Born August 17th 1929 to Mildred Fischer and Harry L. Becker in Hartford Connecticut, David had a secure childhood, focused on education, hard work, Yankees ballgames, and Jewish family traditions. His scholarship was recognized early, first at Weaver High School graduation in 1947 and then at Cornell University with the highest oratory honor for his speech titled Discrimination Against the Negro and Our World Position Today.

In 1955, while at Harvard Medical School, David met and married nursing student, Jane Codington and they began their adventurous life heading to Duke University for Davids residency in internal medicine, and for further training in internal medicine and cardiology at the University of Miami.

David was a veteran, having served in the Air Force in Irumagawa Honshu, Japan -6022nd US Air Force Hospital Johnson Air Base, David and Jane had four children while he practiced medicine in Coral Gables, Florida. He later practiced medicine at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas and at the Mass General Hospital in Boston MA, raising his family in Weston, MA.

Divorced, David moved to Vero Beach in 1978. Vero Beach provided

a perfect climate, a perfect community, and a perfect companion in Marylou Ashcroft with whom he spent the rest of his life, marrying in 1999.

In Vero Beach, he practiced medicine, sharing a medical office with Gary Kantzler, MD, and began to contribute to the community he came to love for his remaining years. He served on many hospital committees, on the hospital district board, as President of the United Way of Indian River County, the board of the VNA, Bermuda Bay Board and was elected to the Indian River Town Council. Giving back to his community was as important to him as having compassion and understanding for his patients and coworkers.

Walking through the hospital, David stopped to talk to everyone asking about their childrens education or recent sporting event or their parents health. He knew every staff member by name and was interested in the details of their lives. His bedside manner included careful listening and humor and time to explain medical diagnoses in plain language. Long before visit summaries were in vogue, David dictated a letter to each patient following every visit explaining his findings, plan and instructions. He partnered with his patients and cared deeply about their values and life experience.

Introduced to running as a sport in the 1960s, David ran daily, was an early marathoner and a founding member of the Vero Beach SunRunners. Running and his running community were integral to his well-being.

David was a colorful character and a very social being. He nurtured and was buoyed by his friendships. He valued his long phone calls with his nephew, John Kupper and cousin, Alan Fischer. He loved his weekly sharing with his Lefties group of revered buddies. He liked to share a good story or joke and had intense pride in all of his children and grandchildren.

We all remember David as the great interviewer, the stranger you sat next to on a plane to whom you shared the whys of your life, the guy you met on the beach who remembered treating your father in the hospital, and the person at the party who worked the room. He leaves us checking any pretense and materialism at the door and settling into an armchair of curiosity and genuine interest and compassion for others.

David was predeceased by his parents, Mildred and Harry Becker, his sister Enid Kupper, and his first wife Jane. David will be missed by his wife, Marylou Becker and his children Marcie Becker, (Brattleboro VT,) Jan Becker, (Santa Fe, NM,) Meredith and Peter Moses (Cha rlotte, VT,) and Steven and Carrie Becker (Dallas, TX.) By his grandchildren John and wife Alison Moses (New York) Ivy, Roome, and Gwendolyn Becker of Dallas as well as by his extended family and many, many friends.

In lieu of flowers, kindly contribute to the VNA Hospice Foundation, 920 37th Place, Suite, 101, Vero Beach, FL 32960.

Arrangements by Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory, Vero Beach, FL. A guestbook is available at http://www.strunkfuneralhome.com

Excerpt from:

David Jerome Becker Obituary - - Hartford Courant