Grant Frederick Carey Becker

August 9, 1957 – June 20, 2024 

Born August 9, 1957 in Winnipeg Manitoba, died June 20, 2024. On Thursday, June 20 while surrounded by his family, Grant Becker peacefully passed away. Grant will be remembered as a son, brother, husband, father, and a dear friend. His warmth, knowledge, and curiosity he brought to every gathering will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Grant is survived by his wife of 31 years Miriam; his two sons Isaak and Noah; his mother Rose Becker; and his sisters Lisa (Bernie) and Tracey (Grant); along with numerous other branches sprouting from his family tree.

Grant was through and through a lover of life. His passion for “experience” developed in the days of his childhood, accompanying his father on his 7Up delivery truck as a sales rep darting from one Manitoba summer fair to another. This developing passion took true flight after the completion of his university Business degree, leading him to find professions in grocery sales and hardware sales – what these had in common was the ability to drive or fly from city to city, working during the day but exploring the land through the evenings and weekends. These trips, along with the vacations from meticulously collected points and flight rewards, resulted in crunching the sands of Hawaii, Aruba, and Grenada underneath his size 12 feet, or staying away from the drinking water in Mexico, Greece, and Spain, or simply eating up the dashes on the pavement leading through the states of the USA, west to the grand city of Regina for annual Labor Day Blue Bomber games, or up to Gimli area to visit extended family and walk the pier. The ability to live through these traveling experiences was of course made easy by his “gift of the gab”.

Grant was one of those individuals who could walk into any given building, and walk out with at least two new friends, a bag of popcorn, and directions to the nearest hole-in-the-wall diner that served the best Fatboy for miles around. These diners were another part of living through experience for Grant, as he truly loved trying all food with an adventurous and diverse palate.

When not seeking out the weird and wacky statues that make small towns famous, Grant would satiate his curiosity through the news to be up to date with current events. These would be uncovered through the evening news, CJOB talk radio, Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader books, or famously his ability to read through the entire Winnipeg Free Press cover to cover. By soaking up all this knowledge, Grant would then have enough foundational information to strike up those conversations with future friends. Of course, the news would not stop with the articles, as Grant loved seeking out the deals found in weekly flyers. Notes would then be compared with his mom during their frequent visits before stocking up on jars of peanut butter or trays of Heinz Lightly Browned Pork n Beans that were on such a good deal it would be silly not to bring those home to stock the already overflowing pantry.

The deals Grant would search for would encompass many different avenues, as his affinity for collecting became a part of who he was. Many of these were mementos and photos from his travels, although his collecting included sports memorabilia from his beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders or Jets 1.0, along with inexplicable items such as M&M’s candy merchandise and vintage farming items…he was a city boy born and raised in Winnipeg but a country boy at heart. This was a testament to who Grant was to his core, he was a man who could see the value in everything and everyone that crossed his path and made sure nothing left an interaction with him without feeling accomplished and having a purpose.

The Becker family extends their appreciation and gratitude to the doctors and nurses on the 2nd floor ICMS at St. Boniface Hospital.

A Celebration of Grant’s life will be held on July 14, 2024, from noon to 3:00 p.m., at St. Norbert Community Centre, where family and friends can share their memories.

In lieu of flowers, consider paying it forward by making a donation to a charity of your choice, or simply starting a conversation with someone about any topic under the blue sky. This simple act would have Grant smiling wide in the heavens above.