Jonathan "Jon" Beck

Athens, TN — Jonathan "Jon" Beck, 70, of Athens, TN, died Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 at his home in Athens, TN.

His Internment will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 10, 2022 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Jonathan was born on Aug. 28, 1951, in Winner, SD to John and Winnie Beck. He graduated from St. Mary's Catholic High School in O'Neill in 1969 and entered the U.S. Navy the fall after graduation. 

Jon served six years on the USS Simon Bolivar, a nuclear submarine.  

After his honorable discharge in 1975, Jon attended UNL after which he lived in O'Neill for a time and worked for the C&NW Railroad before being employed by the Nebraska Public Power District as their nuclear operator at their boiling water reactor plant in Brownville.  

After that he held positions as inspector, field engineer and draftsman at six leading nuclear construction sites across the country. Jon spent 15 years in the nuclear industry defueling/re-fueling, nuclear start-up and testing, reactor plant chemistry analysis, reactor maintenance, radioactive waste control and clean-up, and operation of nuclear plants under normal and emergency conditions.

Although Jon never really considered himself a"military man," he was proud of his submarine service – not as it pertained to "war," but because of what he learned about nuclear power.  He valued his Navy service, education and experience.

Jon is survived by three sisters Rosemary Beck of Scottsbluff, Becky Schmeichel of O'Neill and Char Beck of Portales, NM; one brother Jason Beck of Lake Stevens, WA; five nieces Kristy Beeks, Cindy Nelson, Jacy Wheeler, Jenna Beck and Caity Beck; one nephew Jaden Beck; five great-nephews; and two great-nieces.  

He was preceded in death by his parents.