Conor Beck was only 27 when he died this month, but the 2013 South Portland High School graduate had earned the respect of those who came to know him.
Beck died Oct. 8 at his apartment in Arlington, Virginia, from an apparent accidental drug overdose, according to his family.
Conor Beck Contributed photo
Beck made an impression on his co-workers at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, where he was employed as a communications project manager; and on Twitter, where he often shared opinions and advice.
In his job, Beck educated the public on economic liberty, private property rights, free speech and educational choice issues, according to his profile. He had worked for more than four years at the institute, a nonprofit public interest law firm.
“The entire staff of the Institute for Justice is mourning the passing of our friend and colleague Conor Beck,” the Institute wrote in a tribute posted on its website.
“Across the country there are small business owners, parents and ordinary citizens who knew Conor as the guy who helped save their business or win their kids a better education or get their money back. He helped them find their voice and made sure their community knew that they were standing up for what is right. We knew Conor as the guy who was always upbeat, earnest, tenacious and always ready to help. Godspeed Conor.”
Beck spent much time texting family and friends and tweeting his opinions on Twitter (@cb0321), where he described himself as “Libertarianish and way too curious. Originally from Maine. Rice grad. Loves rain, and baseball, though generally not together.” Beck has a twin brother named Jackson Beck who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Conor Beck had a broad set of Twitter followers who expressed deep regrets over his death.
“I just wanted to say how sorry I am about your brother. He was just a truly good person,” one person wrote.
“I didn’t know Conor, but found him to be one of the most balanced and interesting dudes on twitter. He’s already missed, and he made an impact even for those of us who didn’t really know him all that well,” another person tweeted.
“This site (Twitter) has brought so many people into my path who have enriched my life immeasurably,” a follower wrote. “@cbo321 was one of them. So bright and funny and caring with the uncanny ability to deliver the most brutal honesty in the most charming way possible. There will never be another like him.”
Army veteran, former White House staffer, and New York Times bestselling author Alexander S. Vindman acknowledged Beck’s passing on Twitter writing “Deepest Sympathies.”
Beck attended Rice University in Houston, graduating in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. In his obituary, his family wrote he chose to attend college in Texas because he wanted to escape Maine winters. Before joining the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Beck worked as a media analyst for the Washington Free Beacon.
Beck was an active member of the poetry club and debate team at South Portland High, and he started fencing, a sport he continued in college as a member of the Rice Fencing Club. He took it up again last year as a member of the Nova Fencing Club in Arlington.
He is survived by his parents, Matthew and Denise Beck; brother Evan Beck of South Portland; his twin brother, Jackson Beck, of Brooklyn, New York; grandmother, Martha Gorman of Portland; aunts, uncles and cousins.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a celebration of Beck’s life on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland.
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