- ST.
NORBERT ABBEY
- DE
PERE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A.
- R.D.
Simon C. Becker, O. Praem.
- b.
Tuesday, June 13, 1911 – d. Monday, July 22, 1991
Our brother Simon
Becker was born in Allouez in 1911. After
graduating from
St.
Norbert High and a year at the college, he entered the Order in 1931, and was
solemnly professed in 1936.
Assigned
to teach at Southeast Catholic with the original faculty in 1934, he remained
there until 1939. During that time
he studied at the
University
of
Pennsylvania
and the
Curry
School
of Expression in
Boston
. During the summers of 1939 through
1946, he studied at the
University
of
Wisconsin
,
Madison
and
Temple
University
. He was awarded an M.A. in Zoology
from
Madison
in 1946, and assigned to the college, where he taught zoology in the old
Science Annex, moving walls and renovating every summer.
He was also was the advisor to “The SNC Times” and the yearbook
during those years.
“Crabby
Carl,” as he was called, founded and operated St. Norbert Abbey Press from
1948 until 1974. Between 1950 to
‘59, besides teaching, he held positions as publicity director for the college
and Dean of Men.
Simon
continued to teach at the college until 1972, when he became house superior at
the abbey and took control of the abbey kitchen.
The
pastoral phase of Simon’s life began in 1973, when he was appointed the
administrator of St. Hubert’s in Rosiere, and in 1975, at St. Peter’s in
Lincoln, where he remained until 1985, renovating and demolishing, merging and
closing.
Simon
retired to the abbey in 1986 and died on Monday,
July 22, 1991 at the age of 80.
