October 29, 1940 — April 22, 2020
Wells Bekins, age 79, passed away on April 22, 2020. He went peacefully surrounded by his daughter and a dear friend.
Wells Bekins was born in Seattle, Washington on Oct. 29, 1940, to Margaret Elizabeth Wells Bekins and Claude Bekins. He attended Lakeside School, graduated from Queen Anne High School and then went on to Menlo Park Junior College and attended Oregon State University, class of 1964.
He went to work for the family business, Bekins Moving and Storage in Portland, Oregon. He married Marta Knifton in 1967. They had two children, Dirk and Brooke.
In 1974, he moved to Seattle to be president of Bekins Moving and Storage. He remarried in 1982 to Jennifer Boone and began buying for his herd of Polled Hereford cattle. He became very involved in Polled Hereford Show cattle and specialized in breeding them for show purposes. His love and passion for animals continued throughout his life. His first cattle ranch was in Arlington, Washington. He also had ranches in Idaho and Buffalo, Wyoming.
He was actively involved in scholarship programs for Washington State University Veterinary school, Colorado State University Veterinary School and Colorado State University-VACA International Outreach Program. He was on the Board of Directors for Bekins Storage NW and on the Board and President of Aurora Improvement Company.
He is proceeded in death by his son, Dirk, mother, Margaret, and father, Claude. Wells is survived by daughter Brooke Schuldt, son-in-law Chris Schuldt, granddaughter Gabriella Schuldt, and sisters Jana Anderson and Jill Anthony.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to WSU- Large Animal Veterinary School- Wells Bekins Scholarship fund or CSU-Large Animal Veterinary School-Wells Bekins scholarship fund.
Celebration of life will be held later this Summer.