Keith Tompkins Becker was born to Frank W. Becker Jr. and Joan Tompkins Becker on January 14, 1959, in Plainfield, NJ. He grew up in Piscataway, NJ with his three older brothers, Frank, Scott, and Gary. Keith grew up loving and playing baseball each day until the sun went down with his brothers and friends. He was a diehard New York Mets fan, and as he would always point out, “The Mets find ways to lose that no one knew existed...because they’re the Mets.” In high school he found the Lord after a childhood friend, Michael Giglio, led him to Christ.

After graduating with his Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Montclair State University, Keith worked in the insurance field and other jobs in the business world, yet he felt as if his life was missing something. In 1997, he felt the call to pastoral ministry and prayed for God to open an opportunity for him to pastor. In the summer of 2000, Keith accepted a scholarship to the BMA Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, TX to pursue his Master of Divinity (MDiv). He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2003 and proceeded to bi-vocationally pastor several churches over the next 15 years. Through all of this, he found that teaching was his favorite thing in the world. Keith taught math for many years at Jacksonville ISD. He also taught at Rusk ISD and, most recently, Odyssey Academy in Galveston. He was passionate about his students learning and being successful in life. Yet the thing he cared most about was their lives. Countless students over the years said how grateful they were to have “Mr. Becker” as their teacher because he cared and took the time to learn about their lives. Keith loved every student he ever had and prayed for them every day. When he was not teaching, he enjoyed gardening, particularly tomatoes, peppers, and blackberries, going to Galveston Beach to pray for people on the boardwalk, and spending time with his grandchildren, Milo and Eisley, whom he loved deeply.

Keith passed away suddenly on May 31st, 2026, at the age of 67. His legacy for striving for excellence and “doing the job right the first time” will always live on. But he is most remembered for how he loved Jesus and desired others to experience the freedom he had in Christ.

Keith is survived by his two sons, Jonathan Keith Becker of Tyler, TX; Mark Alan Becker and his wife Shelby of Windsor, CO; his daughter Jamie Elisabeth Williams and her husband Jake of Pasadena, TX; his brothers, Frank Becker of Waynesboro, PA, and Gary Becker and his wife Stacy of Fayetteville, PA, along with many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Joan Becker, and his brother, Scott Becker.

In lieu of flowers, we invite those who wish to honor Keith’s memory to make a donation to the Tim Tebow Foundation. Keith was deeply passionate about the well-being of children and dedicated to efforts that protect and rescue vulnerable children from human trafficking.