After a lengthy illness, Althea Michaele (Rogers) Beckerman died on January 21, 2018 in Andover, MA, at the age of 83. She leaves behind her loving husband, David Beckerman, of Andover, MA; her daughter, Seana Willing, of Austin, TX; her son, Brian Beckerman and his wife, Patricia, of North Andover, MA; her son Daniel Beckerman, of Ballston Spa, New York; her grandson, Damon Beckerman, of Ballston Spa, New York; her grandson, Patrick Willing, of San Antonio, TX; and her granddaughter, Delaney Willing, of Austin, TX.
Michaele was born on June 7, 1934 in Guilford, ME, to father Chester “Chet” Rogers and mother Eunice (Shannon) Rogers, both of whom predeceased her. Although an only child, she grew up amidst a large, loving extended family in Dover-Foxcroft, ME, where she graduated from Foxcroft Academy before moving to Newton, MA, to attend and later graduate from Mount Ida College. It was while she was attending college that she would meet - through a friend who was dating his friend - David Beckerman, then an undergrad at Harvard University. David and Michaele married on June 9, 1956. David graduated from Harvard the following year, then received his Masters from MIT. As newlyweds, the couple settled in Brooklyn, MA. In 1963, while living in Lexington, MA, the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Seana; in 1965, while living in Williamstown, MA, they welcomed son Brian, followed in 1967 by their third child, Dan.
Michaele and David moved to Andover, MA, in 1969, where they would live, work, and raise their three children, and their grandson Damon, for nearly 50 years. In addition to her work outside the home as a real estate agent, Michaele also volunteered with the Andover Village Women’s Club, the Andover Garden Club, the Red Hat Club, and the Andover Senior Center. In June 2017, she and David celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary, a personal goal she had set for herself despite her illness. Throughout her life, Michaele enjoyed gardening, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and crafting. She was an avid tennis player, an excellent skier, and a pretty decent ice skater. She and David played bridge regularly, enjoyed traveling around the world, and later took up golf. She was a book person who shared her love of reading with her children. She had a wonderful sense of humor so it is no surprise that one of her favorite movies was “Weekend at Bernie’s.” When first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and all the way through her third diagnosis in 2013, Michaele remained dedicated in her role as wife, mother, and grandmother, as a volunteer in her local community, and in her will to fight her illness. She remained a brave, tough, iron-willed woman throughout her final days.
The Funeral Service will be celebrated in the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street, Andover, MA, on Saturday, January 27, 2018, at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends are most welcome to attend. Calling hours will be held in the funeral home, prior to the service, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM. Interment will be in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Andover, MA. Donations in Michaele’s memory may be made to the Breast Cancer Treatment Center, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.