Sonny Beckham

A memorial service for Mr. Clarence "Sonny" Eugene Beckham, Jr., age 70 of Cookeville, will be held Wednesday, August 19th at 11:00 a.m. at Cookeville First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Dr. Charles McCaskey and Rev. Christian Smith will officiate. Military honors will be rendered by the Veterans Honor Guard. Mr. Beckham's' family will receive friends Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until service time at the church. He died peacefully Saturday morning, August 15, 2015 at his residence. Born August 12, 1945 in Knoxville, TN to the late Clarence Eugene Beckham, Sr. and Mary Logan Beckham, Sonny graduated from Knoxville's Central High School. After attending Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville for one year, Sonny enlisted in the US Army. He served primarily as a trainer for the Pershing Missile system at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. Following his military service, Sonny returned to Knoxville and completed a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee. He worked as a plant manager at various automobile supply companies in several states. He and wife Ellen have been members of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church since moving from Michigan to Cookeville in 2008. He was an avid, lifelong University of Tennessee football fan-VFL. Mr. Beckham is survived by his wife of 45 years, Ellen Everett Beckham (whom he married December 28, 1969 in Binger, OK); daughter, Nancy Jo Gale and husband Kris and their children, Kylie Clare and Wyatt Kristopher Gale of Hillsville, Michigan; son, Brian Everett Beckham and wife Sarah and their children, Samuel Everett and Carter Jacob Beckham of Hudsonville, Michigan; brother, Dwight Beckham and wife Jane of Knoxville; niece, Maria Beckham; aunt and uncle, Kyle and Alice Keck and cousin, Susan Beckham, all of Knoxville; sister-in-law, Nancy Knoy of Cookeville; and numerous extended family members. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to be made to the Music/Handbell Program of First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 565 E 10th Street, Cookeville, TN 38501.