Posted on 11/26/2018
Capt. Lewis H. Goldbeck, Jr. USN (Ret.)
Died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 90 on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 in Ellicott City, Maryland. Lewis was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 12, 1927, the son of Lewis H. and Elizabeth Brown Goldbeck of Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Lower Merion Township High School in 1945, attended the University of Pennsylvania for one year, and then entered the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1950. He served in the US Navy for 23 years, retiring in 1973. Among his commissions were Commanding Officer of the USS Farmington (PCE-894), a training ship operating on Lake Michigan, from 1954 through 1956, and Executive Officer of the USS William H. Stanley (DLG-32) from 1966 through 1967. He served on various ships during his career, primarily in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, including USS Galveston, USS Little Rock, USS Albany and, during the Korean War, on USS Rowe. Following his service in the US Navy, Lewis worked for Raytheon Service Company for 19 years, retiring in 1993.
In June 1957, while stationed in Newport, Rhode Island, then Lt. Goldbeck met his future wife, then Lt. Ada May Meyer, US Navy Corps. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married on Thanksgiving Day in 1957 at Zion Evangelical Church in Ada's home town of Bay, Missouri. Lewis was immediately outranked by his new wife, whose commission to the Navy preceded his by a few months. This did not stop them from having five children and moving up and down the East Coast over the next several years, finally settling in Fairfax, Virginia in 1967. The family enjoyed gardening, going to the Kennedy Center, picnics and hiking in Shenandoah National Park and on the Billy Goat Trail along the Potomac River.
Following retirement, Lewis and Ada traveled extensively through the United States and Europe, including several Elderhostel trips, an Atlantic crossing during rough weather on the Queen Elizabeth II and traveling from London to Venice aboard the Orient Express.
After Ada entered Fairfax Nursing Home in 2005, Lewis tended to her with great devotion, spending most of each day with her, until her death in 2011. Son, James died in 2006. Lewis remained in Fairfax until 2016 when he moved to Ellicott City to be near his daughter, Carolyn.
Lewis is survived by son, William Goldbeck, his wife, Rachel Seidman and their children, Aaron, Anna and Sam; by daughter, Kathryn Brewer, her husband, James Brewer and their son, Justin; by son, Charles; and by daughter, Carolyn Darrehmane, her husband, Mahjoub Darrehmane and their children, Yasmine and Yusef. Carolyn and Mahjoub did so much to make Lewis's last few years comfortable and secure. The Goldbeck family also wishes to extend its deepest thanks to the third floor staff of Encore at Turf Valley who provided Lewis with wonderful care during his final year.
Funeral services will be held at a later date at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Fairfax, Virginia.
Published in The Washington Post on Nov. 22, 2018