HOUSTON — A 90-year-old Navy veteran who was gunned down and run over last month during a carjacking in southwest Houston was laid to rest on Monday.
During a packed funeral service at Southwest Church of Christ, Nelson Beckett was remembered fondly for a lifetime of service to his community and his country.
Family, friends and fellow veterans gathered to pay tribute to the man known affectionately as "Pop Pop" to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“Nelson was a light on a hill. He knew his role as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather was the most valuable gift he could give the world,” Jordan Bunch, a grandson-in-law, told the congregation.
“In a way, I felt like my Pop Pop was immortal, that he was going to live forever,” grandson Keith Freund said.
Beckett's funeral was held at the same church he often invited homeless friends to attend. Even at 90, he often gave his friends rides to doctor's appointments or anywhere else they needed to go. His family said he took the time to get to know people on a deeper level.
“He wanted to understand what made you who you are. This quality made him a great salesman, it also made him a great elder…there was never a day in which I didn’t know I was loved [by him]” daughter Tami Freund said.
Outside the packed church, people who never met Beckett also wanted to pay their respects.
“It shows the family that somebody cares and one thing about veterans, we stick together,” said Alex Mitchell of Southeast Texas Patriot Guard Riders. “It’s horrible for something like that to happen to a guy that, you know, is 90 years old, a military veteran."
Beckett's family invited KHOU 11 to watch a 21-gun military salute at his gravesite.
The man accused of killing Beckett, 21-year-old Kyliel Arceneaux, is charged with capital murder. He appeared in court Monday on an unrelated aggravated robbery charge. Prosecutors said Arceneaux robbed a University of Houston student at gunpoint inside his dorm room. The judge set his bond at $500,000 for that case. That's on top of the $7.1M bond he already faced in connection with Beckett's death.