Glenn David Becker

July 12, 1944 - March 7, 2017

Glenn David Becker, beloved father of Emerald and Abraham Becker and son of Jules and Jody Anne Becker, passed away March 7, 2017. Additional survivors include his wife, Roberta Wain Becker, his sisters, Donna Becker, Elizabeth Becker (Anthony), and Laurel Becker (Rex), and many nieces and nephews.

Glenn was born on July 12, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois. He moved with his family to California in 1954. Always an excellent writer, in his junior year at Redwood High School, Glenn was hired by Jack Craemer, then publisher and owner of the Marin Independent Journal, to be a general news reporter. He covered a variety of events, from sports to town and city council meetings. Glenn was a member of the first graduating class of Redwood High School. He grew up playing lots of tennis with people with whom he became lifelong friends.

As a student at the University of California, Berkeley, he covered the free speech movement and wrote a weekly, humorous news column in the Daily Cal titled, “A. Reliable Source.”

After taking a course in journalism and the law, Glenn began to consider the law as a career. Following graduation from Berkeley and the University of San Francisco School of Law, he happily accepted an offer to join the Marin County Public Defender’s Office under the highly respected chief Public Defender Harold Truitt. He spent 35 years (and 17 days) as a public defender in Marin County. He loved his career, particularly the excitement of the courtroom and the collegiality of the PD’s office.

Glenn began his lifelong love of baseball when his father, then a sports writer for the Chicago Sun Times, began taking him to ball games at age 3. While still living in Chicago, at age 7, Glenn switched his allegiance from the Cubs to the (then) New York Giants, and was delighted when they followed his family to the Bay Area. He was a founding member of the first fantasy baseball league on the West Coast, the Pacific Ghost League, and his team was named the Dream Giants.

Glenn loved being a Dad to Abe and Emerald and was frequently seen rooting for his children at Boyle Park during their Mill Valley Little League games. He was his children’s champion and biggest fan in everything they did.

When Glenn retired, he joined the Marin School Volunteers and, under the guidance of a second grade teacher at Laurel Dell Elementary School in San Rafael, he helped students learn and love to read for eight years until late 2016. Candidly, Glenn found the students “more reliable and charming company than adults.” At the end of every school year, Glenn gave a book to each child in his class.

A private celebration of Glenn’s life is planned in April. In lieu of flowers, Glenn’s children have set up a donation opportunity in his honor to continue to provide books to the students of Laurel Dell Elementary School. Please consider donating to http://www.bookpassage.com/ GlennBecker-LaurelDell in his memory.