With his grandchildren from Chicago visiting in the hospital recently, Becker called them all over to his bedside.

He told them he had a Sunday school lesson to share.

“It’s important in life to be kind,” Becker said to the grandkids. “Be kind to everyone, and be good.

“But if a bully gets after you, make sure there are two of you — one takes them high and one takes them low.”

-Submitted photo
Bill Becker looks at his garden with his granddaughter, Mandy.

That’s one of the last memories his son, Jeff, will take with him. His father died during the early morning hours on Wednesday.

Jeff recalls plenty of memories and admiration for his dad. The two worked side-by-side at Becker Florist in Fort Dodge for as long as Jeff could remember.

“He was an incredible guy,” Jeff said. “Every doctor, nurse and health care worker in Des Moines and at UnityPoint (where Bill recently spent time) commented on his politeness. He would shake their hand and say, ‘thank you.’

“They said they wished every patient was like him.”

While at the hospital talking with the nurses, Bill was quick to point out how healthy he had been during his nearly 100 years on Earth.

“When he was at UnityPoint, he saw a defibrillator machine with the little paddles,” Jeff said. “He said, ‘Is that for my heart?’

“He told them it’s been pumping for 96 years without stopping.”

Bill Becker was a third-generation owner and operator of Becker Florist with his brother, Ed. Becker Florist is a family owned floral and greenhouse, stationed in Fort Dodge since 1885.

Bill got sick in December, but fought through it. Jeff noticed he would always bounce back from any health scares.

On Valentine’s Day, though, Bill suffered a heart attack. He had surgery and pulled through, as doctors commented his heart was fine despite the “widowmaker” level of the attack.

Bill’s heart valve was narrowed, though. When the doctors did their analysis, they thought the surgery would be too risky moving forward. So they focused on making him comfortable.

“He was just struggling to get through it all, so we brought him back to Friendship Haven,” Jeff said. “He stayed there until he passed peacefully.”

Bill was a fixture at Becker Florist, working there since he could pick up a broom at 11 or 12 years old over eight full decades ago.

“He got back from the Navy in 1948 when he was 21 years old,” Jeff said. “His dad passed away when he was 12, so he helped around the house and took some classes at Fort Dodge Junior College.

“That’s when my dad and Ed took over the business. My dad did the farming and Ed did a lot on the floral side.”

Jeff recalls Bill’s younger years almost seeming like a novel.

“Saturday morning, he would do his chores with his grandma and split wood,” Jeff said. “In the afternoon, he would go play down by the river — just like Tom Sawyer. He would go fishing on Duck Island and have a fun time.”

Bill handed out words of wisdom and planting instructions for trees and gardens during his 55-year full-time stint at Becker Florist and Garden Center. He retired in 2001 at age 72.

Bill kept busy even after his professional days had ended. He continued his work with the local garden club, while also tending a garden of his own.

“He loved the Garden Club,” Jeff said. “He helped with the orchard that was next to his house, where they put in 50 apple trees. He would mow the orchard and guide the club to prune the trees in the spring, then pick the apples.

“He would go out to the farmers market and see the customers, selling apples and sweet corn. He always enjoyed seeing everyone.”

Bill had his own secrets for healthy living.

“He always said if you keep on moving, you will keep on living,” Jeff said. “He had a grandpa that lived into his early 90s, so it was partly genetics.

“In the summertime, he was always in his garden, getting his zucchini squash ready.”

Jeff — part of the fourth generation of Beckers to operate the family business with cousins, Brian and Bruce, and sister, Lynda — took the same professional path as his father.

After Jeff graduated from Kirkwood Community College in 1978, he was right back by his father’s side.

“I learned customer service from him,” Jeff said. “Not only the greenhouse trade, but more than anything, he taught me how to handle customers the right way.

“He said never get worked up or overreact … just take care of the customer.”

As loyal as Bill was to his customers, his employees were just as important to him.

“He was always nice to our employees and treat them with respect,” Jeff said. “He would be a part of the company picnics at Twin Lakes and spend time with them. He really enjoyed that.

“We had some wonderful employees. He would ask a school kid riding his bike if they wanted to come do some watering, and four hours later, they would have a job. He just tried to treat all people nicely.”

As time continued and grandkids turned into great-grandkids, Bill prioritized family more than ever.

“When the grandkids and great-grandkids came, he loved hiking with them and being a part of nature,” Jeff said. “He would take them on hikes, go fishing and tell them about the importance of trees and nature.”

Bill had four children with his late wife, Dorothy: Steven, Lynda, Jeff (Kathy) Becker, and Lori (Dan) Cassidy. The family had seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. All four of his children worked at the store; Jeff and Lynda were still there when the business was sold to Johnson Brothers in late January.

Lori, who also worked for 25-plus years with her father, remembers the time they had together fondly.

“I don’t think I ever had a disagreement with him,” Lori said. “He taught us the importance of a good work ethic, and taught us to treat everyone the way you wanted to be treated.

“He was a great person to look up to.”

Lori was amazed by how much her father was still doing well into his 90s.

“He lived in his house for his entire life for all but two weeks. That was such a huge blessing,” Lori said. “I think him staying active was the key to such a long and healthy life.”

Being outside with nature and being able to share that passion brought the family closer together.

“Not a lot of people like to do the same thing at work and outside of work like he did,” Lori said. “He loved being outside. I remember him saying in the hospital that he planted over 10,000 trees in his life. These last couple of weeks were tough, but we heard some stories from him that we hadn’t heard before. That was a blessing.”

Whether it was with his family, customers or friends, Bill always made a lasting impression on people.

“When anyone came into the store, they wanted to talk to Bill,” Jeff said. “He would gladly take the time to talk to help them out, and he always had a smile on his face.”