Paul Richard Beck, 76; A Man of Many Talents

Paul Richard Beck passed away suddenly on the evening of December 26 at Santa Monica/UCLA Medical Center. He was 76. Born in Los Angeles, Beck was the only child of Dave and Betty Beck. In fact, he was Adohr Milk’s ‘Adorable Baby’ winner of 1935. His father was proprietor of Dave Beck Auto Parts, where Paul learned not only about the business but also about keeping his word. Later on in his business life his nickname was Honest Paul Beck. As a child, Paul set up a lemonade stand and at the end of the day said to his parents, ‘Wow, look at the money I made.’ His parents responded: ‘Oh, what about the lemons and the sugar you used?’ It was their gentle reminder of the meaning of overhead. Other than the automotive business, Beck was known in many fields, ranging from being a writer for old radio shows such as ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ to real estate investor, importer/ exporter and inventor. He was also the talent agent for George Chakaris when he won the 1961 Oscar for best supporting actor in ‘West Side Story.’ Paul made friends wherever he went and was known for his kindness, charity, unique sense of humor and his ‘Marco Polo’ international love of languages and of all people, animals, nature and art. He always offered good advice, according to his wife Delanie, who credits him for her business success. ‘His streetwise common sense was handed down from his years of honest business experience,’ Delanie said, ‘and in remembering that the customer is always right.’ Now a real estate agent in Beverly Hills, Delanie worked for years in the Palisades for Fred Sands, Prudential and Coldwell Banker. Paul enjoyed his associations in the Palisades, and loved to meet friends’including his American Legion buddies’at the venerable House of Lee on Sunset. He spent a good part of his later years successfully developing a new fan belt design that can be quickly and easily fabricated on site for any application or size, eliminating the need for an inventory of multiple-sized belts. Beck is survived by his wife, R. Eve Delanie Bryant-Beck of Malibu. Services are scheduled for Friday, January 7, 1 p.m. at Gates, Kingsley and Gates, 1925 Arizona in Santa Monica. A remembrance of his life is planned at Duke’s Restaurant in Malibu later this month.