Leo Becker

Leo Becker was born on May 22, 1939, in Barling, Arkansas to Ignatius Rheinhart and Dorothy Christine (Weindel) Becker. Leo was the second youngest child of six. Siblings included Celestine, Raymond, JoAnn, Emma Mae, and Paulette.

Leo joined the U. S. Army out of high school and later became a member of the Arkansas National Guard during the desegregation riots in Little Rock, Arkansas. Upon honorable discharge, he moved from Arkansas to Texas seeking work in the construction trade as a home builder.

In May 1965, he met the love of his life, Jacqueline (Jackie) Jackson. Three months later they were married on July 31, 1965. Their family grew quickly over the next four years with the addition of three children: David, Kristine and Douglas.

Leo was a loving husband and father. The love between Leo and Jackie was always present but never so prevalent as during the tough times. As a father, he took the role of raising his children very seriously. When tough love was needed, he would say, "You kids will make all the friends you need in life, but you only get one father!" He guided his children not towards fame and fortune, but to be good people in life.

Leo loved to work with his hands. He built beautiful homes and used those skills to build a home for his family. The family house continued to grow as the family grew. Leo also had a knack for taking broken items and restoring their beauty or repurposing them into something new. His best work may have been repairing religious artifacts after he retired, which would number in the hundreds. Much of the work is still present at St. Ann's.

Leo had many great attributes. His calm and kind demeanor allowed him to be present in the moment and live life one day at a time, without worrying about the future. He was a good listener and loved telling tall tales. Leo never let the facts stand in the way of a great story. Whenever needed, he offered a smile, a joke, advice and his love to the people in his life.

His greatest attribute was his love for Christ. He was often found in church at daily mass. A popular question he often asked was, "Have you been to church lately?" He cared about the souls of the people he loved.

Leo passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Oct 30, 2025. Leo is preceded in death by his parents and all his siblings. Leo is survived by his wife Jackie, children: David, Kristine and Doug, their spouses: Shirley, Sezar and Elizabeth, eight grandchildren: Tricia, Dylan, Ethan, Jarrett, Collin, Blake, Bijan and Amelia, two great granddaughters: Abigail and Eleanor and countless nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He will be greatly missed.