Jim Beckett is Traverse City’s longest-serving Rotarian. It is impossible to tell here his entire life story, yet if I had to do it in two words, they’d be Love and Service. Those characteristics mark his family, his career, and his commitment to the community. Jim has been inspirational to me since I joined the club, and he always called me “Big Guy.”
Jim grew up in a family of nine in Bay City where, as a kid, he hustled copies of the Bay City Times. He gave up his college career to serve in WWII, and he fought in Europe for 38 months. After he returned, Bell Telephone transferred him to Traverse City in 1951, where he and Dorothy raised their family.
He joined Rotary in 1952, serving as Club President in 1962. In addition to Rotary, he loves NMC and is its longest-serving board member – 34 years. Since its beginning, he has been leading champion of the annual Gladhander campaign that has raised millions, showing his love for Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools.
Jim truly loves Rotary and has served in so many ways. For years, the Rotary Show was not complete until Jim sang “My Kind of Town.” Not only did that set up the format for the local parody, it said a lot about his commitment to Traverse City. In 1981, Jim and others helped Rotary separate from The Easter Seals Society to form our Handicapped Committee and direct all the annual Tag Day funds to local differently-abled recipients who need our help. In 2018, that initiative was renamed The J. J. Beckett Access-ABILITY Committee.
When I asked Jim what he would tell Rotarians, going into the next century of service. His answer was emphatic, quick, and concise: “When someone in Rotary asks you to do something, you can never say ‘no.’ That word is not in the Jim Beckett dictionary!” This man is a true inspiration to all of us.
As we neared the end of our visit, he whispered, “There’s one more thing I want to tell you.” I bent down to hear him better. “I love you, Big Guy. Tell ‘em all I said to keep up the great work.”
Yup, that’s Jimmy Beckett – Love and Service.
