John Sheppard Beckwith

John Sheppard Beckwith, 61, of Hidden Valley Lake, California passed away on January 31, 2014 due to natural causes. He was born in Sacramento, California as the oldest son of Frederick and Clare Beckwith. John spent his youth in Santa Rosa and is a graduate of Montgomery High School. In 1983, he married Marilyn Wise and they had John (Jack) Anton Beckwith, their only son. John worked in transportation for over 35 years and was a member of the Teamsters working for various trucking companies. John logged over one million miles without a major accident. A self-taught and accomplished guitarist, John's musical passion was the blues. He played with legendary blues artists Nick Gravenites, and was a regular bass player for the Praises of Zion Baptist Church services. He is survived by Jack Beckwith, Jack's wife Tiffany Beckwith and their children: Aunna Kaitlynn and John (Jack) Anton, Jr. John is also survived by his brothers and their families: David and Cheryl Beckwith and their children, Peter, Heather and her husband Will; and James and Tracy Beckwith and their children: Bryce, William and Spencer. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the: John S. Beckwith Grandchild Education Fund. Please direct donations to: Five Star Bank, 2400 Del Paso Road, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95834. Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral service on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 11:00 am at Lafferty and Smith Colonial Chapel, 4321 Sonoma Highway Santa Rosa, CA 95409. Interment will follow at the Shiloh District Cemetery, 7130 Windsor Road Windsor, CA 95492.