Industry veteran Glenn Beckham remembered
Industry veteran Glenn Beckham, 77, of Bettendorf, Iowa, died March 12 after a courageous battle with health complications due to diabetes.
Beckham was born on July 3, 1946, in Tulsa, Okla., to Earl and Geneva Beckham. He graduated from Broken Arrow High School in 1965.
As a man of faith, he attended Phillips University in Enid, Okla., with the goal of becoming a minister, his family said in an obituary. Although he was in Enid, his heart was in Broken Arrow with Barbara Landrith, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life. The two were married on May 27, 1966, at Broken Arrow’s First Christian Church, the family said.
At the height of the Vietnam War, Beckham joined the Air Force in July 1966. He proudly served his country for over seven years, including several tours of duty overseas during the Vietnam War. While in the Air Force, he and his wife welcomed their first child, Sherrie, in January 1969 at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and their second child, Steven, in July 1972 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Beckham was a lifelong patriot and remained staunchly loyal to his fellow service members and to his country, the family said.
After leaving the service to be with his family, Beckham began a lengthy career with produce in Holdenville, Okla., as proprietor of Glenn’s Produce. Over the years, he supported the produce industry through various roles focused mostly on the foodservice and retail sectors. For the last 14 years, Beckham led the produce category for Performance Food Group, based in Rock Island, Ill.
Beckham was simultaneously a lifelong student as well as teacher, the family said. He loved learning about various types and varieties of fruit and vegetables, growing regions, climates, and farming and harvesting practices and helping his customers and colleagues grow in their understanding as well.
Throughout his career, Beckham was passionate about serving his customers, connecting with people, and all things fresh produce, the family said. Beckham and his wife loved to organize and host the annual PFG produce trip to the Salinas Valley/Monterey area to reward and educate associates and to connect with supplier partners. The highlights for Beckham always included spending time with his colleagues and suppliers, as well as at the annual picnic at the Church Bros.' ranch, and he may have been at his happiest walking the beautiful produce fields.
Beckham was a proud father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to many. He did everything with his beloved wife, Barb, by his side, including weekly “date nights” to the local Texas Roadhouse, cruising the Caribbean Sea and playing with their Westie dog, Ava, the family said.
Beckham is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara; sister Glenda (Guy); brother-in-law Jim (Sue); daughter Sherrie (Chuck); son Steven (Lori); grandchildren Chris (Jewelia), Melissa (Lukian); and great =-grandchildren Kayden, Alex and Colton.
A celebration of life gathering is being planned for June/July 2024 in the Salinas, Calif., area. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made through a Go Fund Me page to help cover Beckham’s health expenses. Information regarding the Celebration of Life for Beckham will also be posted on the page once scheduled.
