Obituary of John S Becht

John  Stephen Becht

August 22, 1988 - November 23, 2022

John Stephen Becht of Harding Township, NJ passed away on November 23, 2022.  John was born to Dr. Charles Becht IV and Mary K Becht on August 22,1988.

John is a 2007 graduate of Madison High School and 2012 graduate of Lehigh University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  After graduation, he worked as an engineer at Becht Engineering Co.

John started treatment for schizophrenia in 2016, a condition he dealt with while in college and perhaps before.  This included six months at Gould Farm in Connecticut where they helped him learn life skills.  After completing treatment, he decided engineering was not the best for him and he elected to attend Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, FL where he learned to be a welder and pipefitter, and graduated at the top of his class in 2017.  He chose welding as he felt it had the right mix of physical work and detailed work.

After graduation he worked for a year at Sabre Industries in Iowa, before deciding to return to NJ to be closer to family and support.

In his youth, John earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  On return to NJ from Iowa he became very active in volunteer activities such as Habitat for Humanity, The Great Swamp, and tutoring math to adults striving to attain a high school degree.  He loved to play board games and participated in gaming clubs.  Other activities included walking, canoeing, kayaking and playing with his nieces and nephews.  Unfortunately, most of these activities were suspended during the COVID pandemic.

John lost his battle with mental illness on November 23, 2022.

John was an incredibly kind, thoughtful, playful and gentle soul and even though this has been a tragic ending we will always remember the positive impact he had on each and every one of our lives.

There was a private family Celebration of Life on December 18, 2022.

John is survived by his parents and siblings, George Pistole, Charles Becht V, Derek Becht and Kristen Becht.  Also surviving are many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to NARSAD: The Mental Health Research Association which supports research into the causes, improved treatments and prevention of schizophrenia (https://www.givemn.org/organization/National-Alliance-For-Research-On-Schizophrenia-And-Depression)