Published: July 30, 2021


Richard Hardy Beckham was born August 13, 1934 and died peacefully on July 12, 2021. He attended Lawrence County High School, graduated in 1952, and was salutatorian of his class.

Richard was the son of Raleigh V. Beckham and Florence Hardy Beckham, both deceased. He was the much loved brother of Ken Beckham (Mickey) and Sister, Linda Beckham Balch (Bill). He was uncle to Jim Beckham (Kim), Maria Beckham Thames (Rob), Fred Balch (Paris), and Brad Balch (Cindy).

Richard attended the University of Tennessee where he received his Bachelors and Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering. After graduating, he went to work for NASA in Huntsville, AL. and worked there until he retired at age 72. He found the work exciting and with many special moments with space travel just beginning.

His real joy was traveling and he was able to visit a majority of the world’s countries – sometimes traveling with a friend he met on one of the tours. At age 84 he could still remember all the cities he had visited.

Richard was a fan of the university of Tennessee sports teams, especially football, and attended many games. He was especially fond of classical music and had a vast collection of tapes and albums.

After retiring, he divided his time between Huntsville and Lawrenceburg. He was much loved and will be missed by his family and friends.

A Memorial Service will be held at Pettus-Turnbo Funeral Home on Sunday, August 15, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.

Interment will be at Mimosa Cemetery.

All arrangements to be handled by Pettus-Turnbo Funeral Home