Harold Becker remembered for honesty, integrity

When Harold Becker was a young partner in his family's grocery business, he learned a lesson that ultimately became one of the core values that guided his life.

In his book, 'Building Trust: My Life Journey,” Becker recalled telling his father, Orrie Becker, how he canceled an order for 400 cases of canned peaches to reorder them at a lower price.

'Did you order those peaches?” Orrie Becker had asked.

When Harold Becker replied that he had, Orrie Becker told him, 'Then they are your peaches. You own them. You take the loss.

'You are to be a man of your word. Let your word be your bond and never go back on your word, even if it costs you money.”

Harold Becker, 94, chairman of Guaranty Bank and Trust in Cedar Rapids, died Saturday after suffering a heart attack. Funeral services are to take place at 10 a.m. Thursday at Temple Judah, 3221 Lindsay Lane SE. Arrangements are by Cedar Memorial funeral home.

'He cherished Cedar Rapids, his work and in particular, Guaranty Bank & Trust, which gave him great pride,” said his son, Robert Becker, who is vice chairman of the bank. 'All through his life he worked hard for what he achieved and most importantly was deep respect from peers and friends that knew him to speak honestly and conduct himself with integrity.”

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett said Harold Becker was a pillar of the community.

'He was a champion for all of Cedar Rapids,” Corbett said. 'His bank was critical in the growth and development of Cedar Rapids, whether it was loans that people were able to get to buy homes or loans for businesses to grow and expand.

'He had an impact beyond the business of banking. There was hardly an event in our community that didn't have the sponsorship of Guaranty Bank behind it.”

The son of Orrie and Anne Becker, Harold Becker was born in 1922 in Muscatine and graduated from Franklin High School before earning his bachelor's degree in 1942 from Northwestern University.

He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Over the years, Becker served as a board member for Mount Mercy University, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the Cedar Rapids Symphony Association. He was a past president of the Greater Downtown Association and was named to the Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 2007.

Doug Neumann, interim president and chief executive of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, hailed Becker's support for and his bank's sponsorship of the organization's annual Good Morning Cedar Rapids event celebrating small business.

'For 23 years, Harold Becker's support has been key to that program's success,” Neumann said. 'He remained active, he remained visible, and he was very knowledgeable about all the workings of the community.

'As you look back decades, the critical public policy decisions around downtown development very often involved Harold's strong opinion on one side or the other.”

Becker enjoyed coming to the office each day and remaining active well into what should have been his retirement. He usually worked from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

'I don't feel any different today than I did when I was 20 or 25,” Becker said in a 2012 interview with The Gazette. 'I can't do the things physically that I did when I was 20 or 25, but I still want to get up and go.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8366; george.ford@thegazette.com