Thomas Keith Beckett
Thomas Keith Beckett, 81, of Chestertown, Maryland passed away on October 15, 2021 at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, East Norriton, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Margrett
Kennedy Beckett; his children Thomas K. Beckett, Jr (Elizabeth), Zenobia Ryken (Brian), and Jennifer McCallum (William); and his grandchildren Ellen, Nicole, Stephen, Christine and Maggie.
Tom was born on May 12, 1940 in Garden City, Kansas. He was the son of the late Ralph Pierre Beckett and Vera Claire “Bee” Bailey. He is survived by his sister Donna Lou Quakenbush of Loveland, Colorado. He was predeceased by his brothers Ralph Pierre Jr (Pete) and Lawrence Lee (Stub). He was the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from the University of Kansas in 1961.
Tom taught in the Topeka, Kansas school system, and subsequently joined Merck Sharpe and Dohme as a pharmaceutical sales representative. He built a successful career at Merck, eventually serving as Executive Director of Marketing Communications. He guided the marketing of Merck’s important therapies and paved the way for new pharmaceutical business models for HMOs. He developed the industry’s first set of ethical guidelines for pharmaceutical sales and marketing. At every point of his career, Tom drove inclusion and supported women in male-dominated fields. He was proud of that and always believed that if you followed your ethical compass everything else would take care of itself.
After retiring from Merck, Tom and his wife moved to Chestertown, Maryland where the rural environment reminded him of Kansas “except there are water and trees here.” A lifelong woodworker, Tom built beautiful furniture and full-sized wooden boats during his retirement. He was an active and involved community member, advising start-up businesses through SCORE, and serving on the boards of the Delmarva Foundation, the Kent County Chamber of Commerce, and the County’s Economic Development Commission. Tom worked tirelessly with local and state government to bring high-speed internet service to the Eastern Shore. A wonderful husband, father, and grandfather, he loved spending time with family.
Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Sultana Education Foundation at sultanaeducation.org/support.