Joe Beck Memorial Golf Tournament Keeps His Legacy Alive

STAMFORD – Despite the wet drizzle that fell in the area on Saturday, the brief appearances of sunshine that popped out may have been Joe Beck smiling down on a 20-year event that continues his legacy and brings the people he loved together with others for a good cause.

The late Joe Beck loved people, his students and living life.

He was a superintendent at Stamford Central School and when you saw him, he made you smile. He, as one of his daughters pointed out, was one of those people who drew you in and let you know that you mattered and had a part to play.

He was  an educator, but as Rosie Hanselman writes, he was more than that. He was an educator, a husband, a father, a friend or a colleague. Teaching wasn't simply his profession, it was part of who he was. When he wasn't with the kids at school, he was driving his own kids or someone else’s. Driving kids to a game, to the beach  or somewhere, educating along the way by asking them questions.

After his passing, Rebecca and Sean Lynch, brought the community together to raise money for the Joe Beck Memorial Scholarship, awarded to one or more graduates at Stamford Central School each year.

"As a family, there is something incredibly meaningful about watching our dad's name continue to be associated with young people and education," writes Hanselman in her Facebook post. "What began as a gathering to remember our father has become something much bigger than we ever imagined. For 20 years, this tournament, mainly due to the Lynches and carried on by Rebecca Lynch, has continued. We need a bigger plaque to hold the names. We never thought it would go on for this long.”

More recently, his daughters, including Hanselman and her sisters Meg Bartell and Laura Nenno, along with Paddy Power have taken over the tournament. 

Despite Saturday's intermittent rain, people turned out at the Stamford Golf Club, with a full field of participants for the annual Joe Beck tournament. They enjoyed the day of friendship and fun.

Over the past two decades, the tournament has raised more than $100,000 for scholarships and provided 43 scholarships, with every dollar going to the annual scholarship. It is given to a student who represents the things Joe cared about deeply; a well-rounded individual who demonstrates their daily love of life, a genuine pride and enthusiasm for their school, and above all, a love for children.

The trophy for the tournament winners is a kind of jack a lope, something Beck would have enjoyed. Hanselman admits you probably wouldn’t have found him on the golf course, but rather enjoying a hunting trip. Jon Barber was the connection to golf and worked with the Lynches to get the tournament started.

Hanselman’s sister Meg Bartell gave a short speech at the start of the tournament, thanking everyone and remembering her dad. In conclusion, she said, “Look around. This is his legacy. Twenty-one years later, all of you are still showing up. You're still coming together. You're still laughing, telling stories, reconnecting, and making new memories.

“That is a testament to the incredible man my dad was and to every one of you who has kept coming back and kept this tradition alive.

“So today, I hope we do what Dad would have wanted us to do. Have fun. Goof on each other, drink too much, laugh until your eyes water like his did, eat too much and tell outlandish, embellished stories. Make someone feel important and loved. Make a new connection and cherish the fact that we're all lucky enough to be together. Because if Joe Joe ( as his six grandkids call him) were standing here with us today, I know exactly what he'd say. He'd look around at all of us, probably have a big mischievous smile on his face, and say “let’s party” 

They are all so grateful their dad’s legacy lives on and that he is still making a difference.

Photo: The winners of this year’s Joe Beck Memorial Golf Tournament are, pictured with the jackalope trophy from left: Rob and DeClan Truesdell, Carey Trappenburg and Luke Lamport.