06/03/2021
Hello Fellow Coyotes,
It is with a heavy heart that I bring to you the news of our friend and patron Richmond Beckman’s passing.
Many of you recognize Richmond as a familiar face around campus and a perennial figure at the Veterans Success Center. Richmond was a veteran of the US Army, a certified EMT, and a snowboarding instructor/enthusiast, as well as an alumnus of CSUSB kinesiology program. He graduated in Fall 2019.
Richmond was a force to reckon with. His character was large, boisterous, charismatic, and erudite. For those of you who ever had the chance to talk to him, you know I’m not kidding when I say that he was a jack-of-all-trades. He was just as familiar with the intricacies of biomechanics as he was with automotive mechanics, and often left me and others wondering perplexedly “How does he know all of this?” Never one to brag about his accomplishments, Richmond had quite a few hobbies and distinctions to boast, to include scuba diving, flying private aircraft, teaching beginner level snowboarding, inventing, and graduating cm laude.
My fondest memory of Richmond is in fact from our first encounter, when he attended transfer orientation in the Summer of 2018. He sat among his peers listening to the services and programs we offered at the Veterans Success Center, and afterwards he eagerly approached me and explained how his other schools never had anything like that. His voice was loud and sincere, convincing me of both his enthusiasm and potency! I knew I would be seeing a lot more of him throughout the year. Many of his peers and friends have expressed equally remarkable first encounters with Richmond. He was outgoing and assertive, a reliable and ever-ready friend. You knew that when he gave his word, he meant it.
Richmond passed away peacefully in his sleep on the night of May 1, 2021. Services for him will be on June 7, 2021 in Apple Valley. Attached is an obituary prepared by Richmond’s family and authorized for release. Please contact the Veterans Success Center for details on the services.
The Veterans Success Center sends its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Richmond Beckman. We invite others to share their stories and condolences at the Legacy website here, or by responding to this email. A virtual memorial for Richmond by the Veterans Success Center is underway. We would appreciate any photos or memories you may have of Richmond that you would like to share. You can send them to us at [email protected] or post them on this KudoBoard.
https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/wcpdcR6K
For anyone experiencing duress and in need of support, please contact CAPS at (909) 537-5040 or email [email protected].
CAPS crisis contact information is available here https://www.csusb.edu/caps/crisis
