Jules Becker
September 4, 1922 - June 10, 2017
Jules Becker died peacefully on June 10, 2017 in Tiburon, CA surrounded by members of his family. Jules was born on September 4, 1922 in Oak Park, IL to Jack and Emma Becker. His life-long passion for the Cubs began at age 7, and he wasn’t above cutting school occasionally to take in a game at Wrigley Field. Even so, Jules was a straight-A student, skipping two grades along the way, and starting college at age 16. He joined the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he served as second in command of a Landing Ship Medium (LSM) in the Pacific Theater.
After the war, Jules began his career as a sports writer with the Chicago Sun Times, followed by a stint with the Chicago Herald-American. One day a college friend called Jules with an offer to become the assistant sports editor of the San Francisco Examiner, to which Jules responded, “What time tomorrow do you want me?”
Jules, his wife, and their two young children moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1953 and to Ross, CA in 1958. Between 1953 and 1958, Jules worked for the Examiner, joined a prominent San Francisco PR firm, and ultimately opened his own successful business, Becker & Company Public Relations and Advertising, which he led for the next 50 years.
Concurrently, Jules earned two masters degrees (Journalism and American History) and, in 1986, his PhD in American History at UC, Berkeley. His dissertation: “The Course of Exclusion 1882 – 1924: San Francisco Newspaper Coverage of the Chinese and Japanese in the United States,” is prescient.
Jules particularly enjoyed being an adjunct professor in journalism for 20+ years at UC, Berkeley, USF and Dominican University. Like his mother, Jules was an active volunteer with educational organizations whose missions were to assist children in need. His community involvement included forming the committee to establish the first library at Ross School, serving on local March of Dimes boards, co-founding The Institute for Historical Study, and serving on the board and acting as a mentor for the Marin School Volunteers.
Jules enjoyed spending his free time with his family and friends. He was an avid tennis player well into his 90’s. He and his family frequented their home at Lake Tahoe as often as possible. Jules was outgoing and engaging, and made friends wherever he went.
Jules met the love of his life while he was on a ladder and she was cutting a bowling class, her selected required PE class. A coke date led to 73 years of marriage to Jody Anne (nee Goldstein) Becker. They had four children: Glenn (Roberta WainBecker), Donna, Elizabeth (Anthony Ruvolo), and Laurel (Rex Black). Glenn predeceased Jules by three months. There are 10 grand-children, five greatgrandchildren, and one on the way.
Remembrances may be made to the Jules and Jody Anne Becker Scholarship Fund, University of Illinois College of Media. Please make a check payable to the University of Illinois Foundation and include the scholarship name and fund number 771392. Mail the check to the University of Illinois Foundation, 1305 West Green Street, MC-386 Urbana, IL 61801. Private services pending.