Jay Beckman

Jay Beckman, 62, of Chandler, Arizona, passed away peacefully after a two-year battle with cancer on November 20, 2023.  He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1961, the son of Jack and Nancy (Clapp) Beckman.

Jay’s Father was an architect for General Motors, which allowed them to travel and live all over the globe where he picked up his life-long love of world history.  He attended Macomb Community College and during his sophomore year, transferred to Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.  He graduated with a BAA in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts in 1984.  He is currently listed as one of CMU’s most Notable Alumni, a recognition that made him very proud. 

Jay met his wife Kristen in 1994.  They quickly fell in love and married a year later.  Jay used to love to tell the story of how he tried for four years to get out of Mt. Pleasant only to have married right back into it as Kristen was a native of Mt. Pleasant.  Together Jay and Kristen built their life in Chandler, Arizona and loved taking trips around the state, especially the Grand Canyon.  A chance trip to Disneyland in 2004, began their 20-year obsession with all things Disney.  Besides history, Jay also loved anything related to  Star Wars, Diamondbacks Baseball, Red Wings Hockey and Formula One Racing.

He dedicated over 25 years of his life working in sports television as a slow-motion/replay editor for all the major sports networks, winning several Emmy awards along the way. This vocation allowed him to work at some of the country’s most amazing venues and events including the 1996 Summer Olympics, five Super Bowls, and 4 World Series.  He left sports television in 2011 to pursue his passion for photography and aviation.  To say he mastered this craft would be an understatement.  He was invited regularly to shoot the Blue Angels as they practiced at their winter base in El Centro, California and spent many summers in Oshkosh, Wisconsin shooting at the EAA AirVenture Fly-In.  His photography work has been published in several notable trade magazines, articles, and aviation calendars.  He was a brilliant and gifted artist whose memory will live on through his body of work.

Jay is survived by his wife Kristen (Green) Beckman and many close friends who he considered family.  He is preceded in death by his parents Jack and Nancy, brother-in-law Rob Green, and mother-in-law, Judy Green.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date in Arizona and again in Michigan. Anyone wishing to express their sympathy may make a donation in his name to Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona.