St. Louis Soccer Hall of Famer Ray Beckman, who spent 51 years as a soccer coach at John Burroughs School, died Wednesday, July 13. Visitation for Mr. Beckman will be Monday from 3-9 p.m. at Kutis Affton Chapel, 10151 Gravois, and from 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Clare of Assisi Church in Ellisville. A funeral mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Beckman, who served in the Navy during World War II and as a St. Louis City firefighter from 1949-1966, played for the U.S. in the 1948 Olympics in London and also starred in local semipro leagues at old Sportsman’s Park.
He was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 1980 and was named the Jimmy Dunn High School Coach of the Year in 2000. In 1972, the CYC presented Mr. Beckman with its Silver Boot Award.
The new soccer field at Burroughs is named for Beckman, and the school has held the Ray Beckman Invitational during the girls season since 2003.
