George Beck was born in Newark, England on October 25, 1910.  After graduation he became a mechanical engineer apprentice.  In 1931 he enlisted in the Royal Army Engineer Corp, serving until 1937 when he started his civilian life at an engineering company in Newark.  In 1939 George was called back into military service due to the growing threat of war. He was sent to France with the Expeditionary Force, and ended up being evacuated from Dunkirk during the famous Operation Dynamo which Winston Churchill hailed as a “miracle of deliverance”.  The army then sent him to Sheffield to work in the armament industry.  This time he was affected by the even more famous “Blitzkrieg”; as the factory he worked in was destroyed by German bombs.  Once again he was called back to service, this time on the North African front.  He remained in the army until the end of WWII.  Upon his return to England he resumed his civilian work as a mechanical engineer for various companies including Rolls Royce, and International Combustion. He retired in 1973 and moved to the U.S. and Portland to be with his son's Douglas and Eric, who had previously relocated in the area. He coached the St. Patrick’s soccer team which included his son Eric until George's death on December 17, 1977. St. Pat's played in the first division of the Rose City Soccer league (which later became the Greater Portland Soccer District) and had a very competitive team winning many titles, including the 1976 Johnston State Cup.  The St. Patrick’s team continues on today as Pierre’s, playing in the GPSD Over 50 division.  The team continues to win titles with some of the same players George Beck coached.