Virginia Knauts Beckham

Virginia Knauts Beckham, 89, of Waco, peacefully went to be with Jesus on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at her home in The Delaney at Lake Waco. Family and friends are invited to a service to celebrate Virginia’s life on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. It will be held at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home (6101 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Texas 76710). The service will be livestreamed and recorded for those who cannot attend in person. Virginia was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, graduated from Malvern High School in Malvern, Arkansas, and received both her B.A. and M.A. from Baylor University in Waco. She was an excellent alto saxophone player, taking first chair in the Arkansas State High School Band as well as in the Baylor Golden Wave Marching Band. She taught elementary school for several years in both Texas and California. She and Josh joined their lives together in marriage with much gratitude on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 1960. They lived in Houston for a few years, and then moved to the San Francisco Bay area where they stayed for 28 years. Virginia was active in her church, with a special passion for God’s work around the world. She served on the board of InterServe, a Christian mission agency. She loved God and His Word. She was a devoted wife and mother and was known for her hospitality and her chocolate chip cookies. She and Josh loved to travel and visited over 50 countries. They retired in Texas and remained staunch Baylor supporters and sports fans throughout their lives. She was at least as avid a sports fan as Josh, and up until just a few days before her passing, could still be heard exclaiming, “Sic ‘em, Bears!” She was preceded in death by her parents, Glen and Grace Knauts. She is survived by her husband, Winslow Joshua Beckham, Jr.; her daughter, Camille Beckham; her daughter, Monica Norcross and husband, K.C. Norcross; and her grandsons, Trip, Caleb, and Eli Gauntt. Virginia’s family would like to extend great appreciation and thanks to those who contributed to her well-being from The Delaney at Lake Waco, Visiting Angels, Baylor Scott and White Medical Center, Baylor Scott and White Hospice, and A Mind for All Seasons. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in remembrance of Virginia’s life may be made to DOOR International, Dept. 9012, PO Box 30516, Lansing, MI 48909-8016, https://doorinternational.org/donate.