Obituary of Catherine A. Beck

Catherine A. (Fico) Beck, 74, of Glastonbury passed away on Monday, February 7, 2022 at Hartford Hospital.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Emily (DeMatteo) Fico. Catherine spent her childhood in Providence, Rhode Island. She has been a resident of Glastonbury since 1980.

Cathy is survived by her daughter Jennifer Manzotti, and her husband Greg of Glastonbury; her son David Beck and his wife Laura of Farmington; her grandchildren Maya and Annelise Manzotti, and Allison and Zachary Beck; her two sisters Fran Dickervitz and her husband Stan, and Donna Fico, and her niece Emily Dickervitz, all of Rhode Island.

Upon being fired from a staffing agency in 1981 she replied “you don’t have to fire me because I quit,” and began to make a name for herself with the establishment of JOBPRO Staffing Services.  41 years later her beloved JOBPRO is still owned and operated by her daughter Jennifer.  She had an incredible sense for business, sales in particular, but the secret to her success was her ability to build life-long relationships with colleagues inside and outside the Company.

Cathy had a love for so many different things, including wild birds, black and white movies and Guns N’ Roses–once coincidentally attending the same concert as her then high school-aged son.  She positively adored her two cats, Polly and Anna who were so affectionate to her.

But what brought Cathy the most joy in life was her family and friends.  She adored her grandchildren and loved spectating their sporting events, watching dance recitals, or hosting her annual cousins’ pumpkin carving party. So many friends brought so much joy to her life, and she to theirs, it would be impossible to name each who was so special to her. Her son and daughter cherish every moment they spent with her, will always love her, and miss her deeply.

And much of this, it must be said, was accomplished from her wheelchair due to a fluke skiing accident almost 30 years ago.  The following exchange describes her courage in adversity.  The conversation took place about a year ago with the surgeon who operated on our mother at the time of her original accident in 1992.  He told her: “Ever since I met you, when someone in the prime of their life had a spinal cord injury and asked me ‘What can I accomplish from this wheelchair?’ I would tell them about Cathy Beck.”  

She is an inspiration to all who knew her.

Funeral services and burial will be at the convenience of the family. Friends may call on Sunday, February 13, 2022 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospital for Special Care Foundation to support the Spinal Cord Injury Fund. Gifts may be sent to: Hospital for Special Care Foundation, 2150 Corbin Ave, New Britain, CT 06053. You may also donate online at hfsc.org.   For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.