Carol Jean Beck

Carol Jean McCready Beck, age 87, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, with her family by her side at the family home in Tiburon, CA, where she lived for the past 59 years.

Born July 23, 1938, she was the only child of Ernest McCready and Selma Sigismund McCready. Carol grew up in the Mission Dolores District of San Francisco and from an early age, had a passion for animals and world travel.

After graduation from Mission High School, Carol was given the opportunity to partake in a circumnavigation voyage around the tip of South America with her father, Ernie, followed by a solo trip to Europe where her father purchased a VW Karmann Ghia that she drove around the countryside before it was shipped back to the US. This whet her appetite for a lifetime of travel. Upon returning to the states, Carol was employed as a telephone switchboard operator for Pac Bell.

Carol met Bill Beck in the summer of 1960, and they were married on December 8th, 1962. Shortly after they wed, they moved to Tiburon, CA, where they built their first home, raised their three sons and enjoyed an incredible run of 63 years of marriage. This remains the family home today.

Carol and Bill built a second home in Sea Ranch, CA, in 1991 and enjoyed many happy times there on the coast with family and friends. It became a family tradition to spend each Thanksgiving there.

Carol was a real history buff, with a voracious curiosity about the world, and loved sharing her knowledge and insights so much that she became a licensed San Francisco Bay Area Tour Guide for over a decade. Throughout the years, Carol had the opportunity and privilege to travel to more than 90 different countries and territories, both with her husband Bill, and also with close girlfriends.

In addition to her travels, Carol was passionate about animals, especially the golden retriever, having rescued many throughout her lifetime.

Carol was a minimalist and could often be heard using the phrase, “Less is More!” She left this imprint on her children and grandchildren.

Carol is survived by her husband, William (Bill) Beck; her three sons, Raymond (Colleen), Roger, and Ronald (Megan); and four grandchildren, Bailey, Peyton, Colby, and Calvin.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following organizations that Carol supported throughout her lifetime: Doctors Without Borders, EIN: 13-3433452, 333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001; World Wildlife Fund, Inc., EIN: 52-1693387, 1250 24th Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.