Laurence “Pete” Beckerle Jr passed away unexpectedly at 93 years young on Friday, November 24 surrounded by loving family and friends. The youngest son of Laurence Sr. and Ellen (McEntegart) Beckerle, Pete was born in Nyack Hospital and grew up in Spring Valley, New York. He was a graduate of the Spring Valley Class of 1948. Pete earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the College of the Holy Cross in 1952 where his senior thesis subject was “the Physics of Modern Rocketry.”
At a “Tea Dance” hosted by Marymount Manhattan College, Pete and 2 best buds from Holy Cross met 3 young ladies from Marymount. These 3 couples: Denise Duross and Pete Beckerle, Peggy and Jack Kenny and Anita and John Kapp celebrated a combined 190 years of marriage! Pete always said he was smitten after hearing the glamorous Denise playing Debussy’s “Clair De Lune” on the piano.
Denise and Pete married on October 2, 1954 at St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church on W 31st Street, NYC. They lived in Newport, Rhode Island where Pete was a US Naval Operations Officer on the destroyer USS Fred T Berry. Following Pete’s Navy stint the growing family crossed the Hudson on the opening day of the new Tappan Zee Bridge on December 16, 1955 and moved “sight unseen” to a one bedroom 1930’s Swiss Chalet style home in Pearl River. Pete resided in this home which morphed with several additions for 68 years until his passing.
Pete joined his father to work full time at Beckerle Lumber Supply Company, the family business established in 1940. Pete assumed the reins as President in 1966 and served in this capacity for nearly 45 years before assuming the role of Chairman Emeritus.
Pete started at the family business helping his father at the age of 12. After returning full time he guided the business through 3 major fires, and numerous recessions. He grew the business from a single location to three stores. He continued to mentor and advise. His wisdom, vision and experience have been invaluable through all the ups and downs. His attended his last stockholders breakfast meeting was on the day he died.