Leonard Becker

Leonard Becker passed away on Thursday, February 16, 2023, in Mesa, AZ after a short battle with cancer.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00AM, Friday, March 3, at Calvary Methodist Church, 609 N 34th St., Bismarck, ND, followed by lunch.

Visitation will be held from 5-7:00PM, with prayer service at 7:00PM, on Thursday, March 2 at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E Divide Ave, Bismarck.  

Interment will be at 2:00 PM at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan.

Leonard W. Becker, son of Henry A. and Katherine (Lachenmeier) Becker, was born Jan. 26, 1937, on the family farm near Streeter, ND. One of 11 siblings, spent his youth growing up on the farm, graduating from Streeter HS in 1955. He attended business college in Fargo and entered military service in 1961; stationed at Fort Ord, CA.

Leonard married the love of his life, JoAnn Becker, on May 28, 1961, in Hazen, ND. After military service, they moved to Bismarck where Leonard worked for First Bank (started in 1969), then transferred to Duluth, MN.  They raised two sons, Todd and Brad, who were his pride and joy. Leonard enjoyed a great career in banking and his professional accomplishments included tenures as President of Security State Bank, Wishek, ND, and later First State Bank of Goodrich and Wilton, ND.

Len believed in being active in his community and church he was president of more than a dozen community organizations and won numerous awards in the various communities he lived.  In 1969, he was elected Outstanding Young Man of Bismarck.”  He served as President of Bismarck and West Duluth Jaycee’s, active in the Wishek Lions Club, and various banking organizations. 

Family always came first for Leonard; he enjoyed nothing more than family and friends getting together, especially attending Becker and Lachenmeier reunions.  When they became grandparents, Leonard and JoAnn purchased a cabin on West Silent Lake in Minnesota so all three generations could enjoy summers together. He was a member of the American Legion and Bismarck Elks.  Len enjoyed the cabin, reading the bible, working on projects, going to coffee to visit, fishing, was a farmer at heart, and he and JoAnn were life-long antique collectors; never passing up a good auction or sale.

He is survived by his wife, JoAnn; his two sons, Todd (Tammy) Becker, and Brad (Anne) Becker; five grandchildren, Matthew Becker, Olivia (Joshua) Kosienski, Grace (Clay) Bassingthwaite, Jacob Becker, and Maxwell Becker; and one great-grandchild, Estee Kosienski.

Len was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Roland, Emil, Henry, and Wilbert “Punch” Becker; and six sisters, Viola Grimes, Alice Graff, Annie Eisenbeis, Eldena Rau, Agnes Spitzer and Jean Wagner. 

Suggested memorials to the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery or Billy Graham Ministries.