Damon Beck passed away last week, and his loss is a big one for the BGSU athletic department and the Bowling Green community. He covered the BGSU women's basketball team for numerous years -- I'm not sure exactly how many, but I'm guessing it was at least 2 decades. He was a great writer and a great person. I knew of Damon when I was a student here at BGSU in the late 1980s, but didn't really get to know him personally until I returned as an assistant SID in 1996. He covered the women's basketball team for the Sentinel-Tribune, and served as a member of the AP voters as well.
It was evident that he had a real love of the game of women's basketball, and I like to think that we had a very good working relationship. I am not sure exactly which year he started spending his winters in Las Vegas, but he had covered the Falcons for approximately the first 6 or 7 years that I worked here. He was a great friend of the BGSU women's basketball program, and he will be missed.
Here is Damon's obituary from the Sentinel-Tribune. The text is below, and you can also read the story on the Sentinel's web site by clicking here ...
Damon V. Beck, 60, died Thursday (May 6, 2010) at Cleveland Clinic from complications of bladder cancer after a seven-month battle.
He was a national authority on women’s college basketball. For many years he covered the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team for the Sentinel-Tribune, and received several writing awards. He was a member of the Associated Press panel of sports writers that weekly selected the top 25 women’s teams and cast ballots for All-America teams.
Damon coached Pee Wee League baseball in Bowling Green for many seasons during the 1980s.
It was evident that he had a real love of the game of women's basketball, and I like to think that we had a very good working relationship. I am not sure exactly which year he started spending his winters in Las Vegas, but he had covered the Falcons for approximately the first 6 or 7 years that I worked here. He was a great friend of the BGSU women's basketball program, and he will be missed.
Here is Damon's obituary from the Sentinel-Tribune. The text is below, and you can also read the story on the Sentinel's web site by clicking here ...
Damon V. Beck, 60, died Thursday (May 6, 2010) at Cleveland Clinic from complications of bladder cancer after a seven-month battle.
He was a national authority on women’s college basketball. For many years he covered the Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team for the Sentinel-Tribune, and received several writing awards. He was a member of the Associated Press panel of sports writers that weekly selected the top 25 women’s teams and cast ballots for All-America teams.
Damon coached Pee Wee League baseball in Bowling Green for many seasons during the 1980s.
Damon and his wife, Cindy, spent many years renovating an historic home on North Prospect Street in Bowling Green and in the past couple of years have been restoring a smaller home in Gibsonburg.
An aficionado of classic automobiles, Damon could identify the year, make, and model of a classic vehicle from sight and had restored a 1966 Mustang to original condition.
Damon was a graduate of Gibsonburg High School and Bowling Green State University with a degree in journalism.
He was born August 31, 1949 and married Cynthia Overbeck in 1971. Their only child, Colby, was born in 1971.
After the birth of his first granddaughter, the focus of his life turned to being a professional grandparent (or Gapa and GopGop, as he became known to his granddaughters).
After retirement he and Cindy began spending the winters in Las Vegas to be close to the grandchildren.
Damon is survived by his wife of 39 years Cindy; son Colby and daughter-in-law Stacey of Las Vegas; two granddaughters, Shelby and Kelsey; parents, Loren and Luella Beck, both of Gibsonburg; brothers Ladd and his wife Diane, of Gibsonburg, and Doug and his wife Kathy, of Holgate; sisters Renee Graser and her husband Larry, of Gibsonburg, and LaNette Beaverson and her husband Terry, of Van Wert; and nephews Jason Beck, Brandon Beck, Drew Williamson, Trevor Williamson, nieces Sheena Beaverson and her husband Mark Jones, Erin and her husband Bob and their son Travis and daughter Kaylie, Brittni Beck, and Jessica Beck and former brother-in-law Don Williamson. He is also survived by special friends Dave and Jamie Hilborn and Harold Brown and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Visitation will be Friday, May 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Herman-Kinn-Veh Funeral Home, Gibsonburg, Ohio.
Burial will be Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. in Oak Grove Cemetery, Bowling Green, Ohio, followed by a Celebration of Life at 1 p.m. in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gibsonburg.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to Taussig Cancer Institute in care of Dr. Dale Shepard, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave., R 35, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195.
An aficionado of classic automobiles, Damon could identify the year, make, and model of a classic vehicle from sight and had restored a 1966 Mustang to original condition.
Damon was a graduate of Gibsonburg High School and Bowling Green State University with a degree in journalism.
He was born August 31, 1949 and married Cynthia Overbeck in 1971. Their only child, Colby, was born in 1971.
After the birth of his first granddaughter, the focus of his life turned to being a professional grandparent (or Gapa and GopGop, as he became known to his granddaughters).
After retirement he and Cindy began spending the winters in Las Vegas to be close to the grandchildren.
Damon is survived by his wife of 39 years Cindy; son Colby and daughter-in-law Stacey of Las Vegas; two granddaughters, Shelby and Kelsey; parents, Loren and Luella Beck, both of Gibsonburg; brothers Ladd and his wife Diane, of Gibsonburg, and Doug and his wife Kathy, of Holgate; sisters Renee Graser and her husband Larry, of Gibsonburg, and LaNette Beaverson and her husband Terry, of Van Wert; and nephews Jason Beck, Brandon Beck, Drew Williamson, Trevor Williamson, nieces Sheena Beaverson and her husband Mark Jones, Erin and her husband Bob and their son Travis and daughter Kaylie, Brittni Beck, and Jessica Beck and former brother-in-law Don Williamson. He is also survived by special friends Dave and Jamie Hilborn and Harold Brown and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Visitation will be Friday, May 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Herman-Kinn-Veh Funeral Home, Gibsonburg, Ohio.
Burial will be Saturday, May 15 at 11 a.m. in Oak Grove Cemetery, Bowling Green, Ohio, followed by a Celebration of Life at 1 p.m. in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Gibsonburg.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorials be made to Taussig Cancer Institute in care of Dr. Dale Shepard, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave., R 35, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195.
Mike:
ReplyDeleteThere were few things my Dad liked more than covering the basketball team. I know he missed it after he stopped (and I doubt little short of the birth of his granddaughters could have made him retire completely) and he always had a great respect for BGSU, the athletic department and the staff. I would hear stories all the time of the happenings at Anderson Arena or on the road. It was exciting for him to see the program blossom into the premiere program in the MAC and beyond. Thank you for your kind words.
Colby
He is also survived by special friends Dave and Jamie Hilborn and Harold Brown and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
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