This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/TGB.2ACE/590 Message Board Post: The Sun, San Bernardino - Monday, January 10, 2005 ELMER "LEE" BECKER maintained multiple roles in his lifetime - supportive father, Army Lieutenant colonel, accounting manager and avid bird watcher. "He was my best pal," said his daughter, Paula Becker of Aliso Viejo. "He gave me a lot of advice, most of which I should have taken. He was just a great dad." Becker, a 40-year Loma Linda, CA resident, died Dec. 19 at Loma Linda University Medical Center of pneumonia and congestive heart failure. He was 94. He was born in Brainerd, Minn., on Sept. 12, 1910. "He was a big history buff," Paula Becker said. "He loved history, he read history, he collected Civil War memorabilia and learned about the battlefields." He graduated from Rider University in Trenton, N.J., with a bachelor's degree in accounting. He married Bee Slater in 1933. They were married until she died in 2001. Becker was called to active Army duty in 1940 and was stationed in North Africa and Florence, Italy, during World War II. He was honorably discharged as a lieutenant colonel in 1945. Becker became an auditor for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and lived in Asia for five years. He developed an interest in birds and learned how to identify hundreds of rare birds. In 1951 he became a certified public accountant and earned the highest score ever on the accounting test given by California. He became head of the General Conference Auditing Service in Washington, D.C. "He was a very efficient auditor and an astute businessman," said his friend of 35 years, Don Roth, of Yucaipa. "His professional approach inspired me and that's why we became friends. I considered him an outstanding person, both personally and professionally." Becker and his family settled in Loma Linda in 1965 and he became accounting manager for Loma Linda University. He taught accounting at La Sierra University for five years and miantained his accountant's license until he was 80. There were no other survivors. Services were held. Arrangements were handled by Cortner Chapel in Redlands. NOTE: Submitter is not related in any way to deceased. Obituary is provided for genealogical interest only. ~RIP~