A Tremendous Loss to All; Frank Becerra, Sr.

When Through one man a little more Love,
a little more Goodness, a little more Hope,
a little more Beauty, a little more Joy,
And a little more faith
Has come to the world
Then that man's life has has Meaning

Rarely in life do we encounter a soul as delightful, caring, pleasant and comforting as Frank Becerra.

No matter the occasion, Mr. Becerra was always upbeat, always had a smile and a "twinkle" in his eye. You were always delighted when you would see him at a function, a party, a ball game, or his home - and he always seemed delighted to see you (whether or not he was -haha)!

Mr. Becerra was a gift from Heaven to us all - an inspiration to everyone as to the kind of person we should strive to become and the life we should all attempt to lead.

He will be missed by all who had the true honor and privilege to have known him, laughed with him, and shared time with him. His kind do not pass this way often!

Rest well, Mr. B - and Thank You!
God Bless!

May 27, 2009
Frank Becerra, retired newspaper artist, dies at 82Milt HoffmanRetired senior editor


Frank Becerra Sr., whose artistic talents brought him fame as an editorial cartoonist for The Journal News' predecessor newspapers and for thousands of portraits he did for the community, died Monday at Sarah Neuman Nursing Home, Mamaroneck, after a battle with Parkinson's disease.

A resident of White Plains, he was 82.



More than an artist, Becerra was the newspaper's unofficial goodwill ambassador. In 1982, he was inducted into the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of his sports cartoons and illustrations. The work he did as an artist for charity causes was cited in 1998, when he was inducted into the White Plains High School Hall of Fame. He also was awarded the Luric Werden Golf Journalism Award by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association.



But his portraits were not restricted to the Lower Hudson Valley.
In 1962, when he painted and sent to the Vatican a picture of Pope John XXIII depicting the "adoration of the cross," Becerra received a warm letter of thanks from the papal secretary of state that granted him and his family "the paternal apostolic benediction of His Holiness."
"My father touched so many peoples lives, not only through his artwork but through his kindness and generosity," said his son, Frank Becerra of Brewster, a photographer for The Journal News. "I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with him, and observe firsthand his work ethic. Anyone who has ever met my father knows what a humble and wonderful man he was."



Former Gov. Mario Cuomo once invited Becerra and his wife, Isabel, to the state Capitol, where his drawing of Cuomo was mounted outside the governor's office.



On occasion, he illustrated the scenes during high-profile trials at the Westchester County Courthouse. In 1970, he drew Westchester's answer to Smokey Bear - "Flora the Fawn," a cute deer to illustrate directional signs in the county parks system and urge people to pick up their litter and be careful with fire.



Becerra was generous with his talents, often offering to draw pictures for friends, whether it be of their grandchildren, or in the case of Francesco Spinali, a portrait of the Francesco's Italian restaurant owner that has graced the cover of the menu for more than 30 years.
"It was special because he made it," Spinali said. "He was something special."



One of his best known editorial cartoons depicted New York City banks as octopuses with tentacles trying to move into Westchester and take over local banks. His cartoons concerning the accident carnage on Westchester's parkways helped convince the state to take over and modernize the county-built roads.



Becerra's infectious smile and the twinkle in his eyes drew the comments of a colleague in 1960, when he illustrated the newspapers' 12-part story, "The Year That Christmas Disappeared." In a promotional story, Madelaine Wilson wrote, "How nice they chose an artist who believes in Santa Claus. … Actually, Frank's eyes have a sort of built-in twinkle. It gives him the appearance of knowing something delightfully pleasant which, with a little encouragement, he will share with you."



He was born in White Plains to Theodore and Angelina Tedesco Becerra and, after high school, joined the Coast Guard in 1945, during World War II, serving as a radioman. After three years of service, he studied at night at the Art Students League in New York under the G.I. Bill while working with an ad agency during the day.



He joined what was the Macy Westchester Newspapers in 1954, rising to the post of chief artist for the group when it was called Gannett Westchester Rockland Newspapers, directing all editorial art, illustrations, cartoons and photo retouching. He retired in 1992, but continued to draw portraits of high school students chosen as the Con Edison athlete of the week.



The portraits appeared in the newspapers; the originals went to the students. There were hundreds of drawings of celebrities Becerra met in his career, including Joe DiMaggio, Ralph Branca, Roy Campanella, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and Bob Hope.



He and his wife met on a trip to Spain in 1950, and were married two years later.



A considerable amount of art charity work that Becerra did in the community sprang from working next to Isabel in her many volunteer activities, which included White Plains Hospital Center and the former St. Agnes Hospital.



An avid fisherman, Becerra was a familiar figure knee-deep in the Bronx River on April 1, the start of trout season, and friends made it a habit to drive by and wave to him - and he waved back.



Besides his wife and son, he is survived by a daughter, Maria Gallagher of Yorktown; sons Peter, Joseph, Anthony and William, all of White Plains; nine grandchildren; and two brothers.