Manuel Ray Beck

October 14, 1943 – August 10, 2026

Manuel R. Beck, 82, passed away in Oklahoma City on Monday, August 10, 2026, following complications from a severe stroke. His life was defined by service to his country, his community, and, above all, his family.

Manuel was born in Oklahoma City on October 14, 1943, to William Manuel Beck and Johnnie DeEsta (Taylor) Beck. At 16, he began what would become a lifetime of military service when he enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1960. He later entered active duty in the United States Army, completed Airborne and Special Forces training, and became a Green Beret.

During the Vietnam War, Manuel served with the 5th Special Forces Group and MACV-SOG, including service with B-56, Project SIGMA, conducting special reconnaissance operations. Following Vietnam, he returned to the Oklahoma Army National Guard and continued serving for decades. He became an Army aviator and helicopter pilot and spent many years in the Oklahoma Army National Guard aviation. Later in his career, he returned to the enlisted ranks, graduated from the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, and served in senior enlisted leadership positions, including Operations Sergeant Major for Aviation and ROC Sergeant Major. He retired in 2003 as a Sergeant Major after approximately 43 years of military service.

Manny carried that same commitment to service into his career with the Oklahoma City Police Department. After returning from Vietnam, he joined OCPD and began his career as a patrol officer. In 1973, he was one of the first three OCPD officers selected to participate in what would become the Department’s Air Support Unit. He went on to spend approximately 27 years as an OCPD helicopter pilot, combining two of the great callings of his life, aviation and public service. He retired from the Air Support Unit as a Lieutenant in 1999 after nearly three decades of service to the citizens of Oklahoma City.

Manuel never seemed particularly concerned with having the most prestigious title or holding the highest position. What mattered to him was being the best at whatever he had chosen to do and knowing that the work itself was worth doing. Whether he was a Soldier, aviator, police officer, husband, father, or grandfather, he approached his responsibilities with discipline, purpose, and an expectation that things should be done right. He took tremendous pride in his work, not because of the recognition that came with it, but because he believed meaningful work deserved his very best. That example left a lasting impression on his children and grandchildren, who learned from him to work hard, make no excuses, take pride in what they do, and strive to do it well.

For all that he accomplished in uniform, Manuel’s greatest legacy is his family. He and his wife, Shirley, shared 62 years of marriage and built a family whose lives were shaped by their example. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who worked hard, expected the best from his children, and made certain they understood the importance of family. He was equally determined that they enjoy life together, creating memories through family vacations, ski trips, and a home that became a gathering place not only for his children, but for their friends as well.

His example of service continues through the generations that followed him. His son, Ronnie, serves as a Major with the Oklahoma City Police Department and as a Colonel in the Oklahoma Army National Guard. His grandson, Justice Beck, is currently attending the Oklahoma City Police Academy, extending Manuel’s OCPD legacy into a third generation. Manuel was immensely proud to see Justice begin his own career with the Department that had meant so much to him.

His legacy of compassion, service, and quiet dedication lives on in his daughter, Amy. Inspired by the values he demonstrated throughout his life, she devoted her career to caring for others and leading with kindness and integrity. As Executive Director of Perioperative Services at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City, Amy has touched countless lives through her commitment to patients, caregivers, and her community. In recognition of her servant leadership and unwavering dedication to others, she was honored with the Sister Rose Power Leader Award. She considers her greatest accomplishments to be a reflection of the example her father set and the values he instilled in her.

Manuel also possessed a remarkable ability to make people feel that they belonged. To him, family was never determined simply by blood. Spouses, significant others, foster children, friends, and others who entered the Beck family were welcomed and loved as his own. Once someone became part of his family, there was little distinction in Manuel’s heart between those born into it and those who joined it along the way.

Perhaps nowhere was Manuel’s love of family more evident than in his relationship with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He took great pride in watching each of them build their own lives and families, and he was always there with encouragement, guidance, and support when they needed him. One of his greatest joys in his later years was watching his family continue to grow and having the opportunity to know and love another generation. His grandchildren knew that Papa believed in them, would be there when they needed him, and would do whatever he could to help them succeed.

His family will remember him as dependable, protective, generous, and always willing to help. He could fix almost anything, offer advice when it was needed, and make certain those around him knew they were loved. His children and grandchildren learned from him the value of hard work and loyalty, but also something more important: to take care of the people you love, to welcome others into your family, and to give without expecting repayment. Those lessons, carried forward by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, may ultimately be the greatest measure of the life Manuel lived.

Manuel will be remembered not only for the uniforms he wore, the aircraft he flew, or the positions he held, but for the life he built and the example he left behind. For more than six decades, he was Shirley’s husband and partner. To his children he was Dad; to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren he was a steady presence and a link to a remarkable family history. His life demonstrated duty, courage, loyalty, perseverance, and an enduring commitment to those he loved.

Manuel was preceded in death by his parents, William Manuel Beck and Johnnie DeEsta (Taylor) Beck, and his half-brother, Allen Beck.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Shirley; his children, Cyndi Cochran and her husband, Scooter, Ronnie Beck and his wife, Malissa, and Amy Coker and her husband, Chuck; his grandchildren, Corey and his wife, Amanda, Ryne, Justice and his wife, Maria, Sable and her husband, Thomas, Forrest, Hutton, Carrington and her husband, Logan, and Anniston; his great-grandchildren, Brody, Beckham, Baker, Blakely, Koda, and Elora Dawn; and numerous extended family members, friends, fellow Soldiers, and members of the Oklahoma City Police Department whose lives were touched by his service and friendship.

Manuel spent his life serving others. His service carried him from the Oklahoma Army National Guard to the United States Army and the jungles of Vietnam, from military aviation to the skies above Oklahoma City, and through decades of leadership in both the military and law enforcement. However, the title that mattered most was the one known by those closest to him: husband, Dad, and grandfather. His legacy of service and family will continue through the generations that follow him.

If you would like to make a memorial donation in Manuel's honor, the family suggest memorials to Central/Western Oklahoma Chapter Cystic Fibrosis Foundation https://www.cff.org/chapters/centralwestern-oklahoma-chapter

The video recording of Manuel’s Funeral Service can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/channels/1613528/1219366425