James Edward "Jim" Beckman was born May 5, 1957, in Evanston, the son of William Charles and Margaret Lorraine Harris Beckman.  He died Monday, Aug. 18, 1997, in Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, IL.

He married Anne Peper on Nov. 27, 1993, at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. He was a graduate of University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign, having earned a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, in May of 1979 and Juris Doctor, May 1982. He was admitted to practice in 1983. He worked for the State Department of Commerce and Community Affairs as a technical advisor in the legal department. He later worked for the State Department of Rehabilitation Services, serving as supervisor and legal counsel. He then became assistant states attorney under Bill Roberts and later Don Cadigan. At the time of his death, he was Assistant U.S. Attorney under Frances Hulind.

Survivors included his wife, Anne Beckman of Springfield; father, William C. Beckman of Naperville; stepmother, Mary Jane Beckman of Naperville; brother, Jeffrey (Patricia) Beckman of Granger, Ind.; and sister, Mrs. Scott (Janet) Stiefvater of Schaumburg. He was the uncle of Nicole, Becky, Eric and Brad; granduncle of Sydney; nephew of one aunt and one uncle; and cousin of many. He was preceded in death by his, grandparents, Edward and Mabel Beckman and George and Dorothy Harris; infant brother, John; sister, Joan on Aug. 17,1959; and mother, Margaret Beckman in 1976.