Garnet Irene Beck, 84, of State College Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 23, 2025. Garnet was born on August 27, 1941 in Sligo Pennsylvania to the late Charlotte (Stevens) and T.O. Beck.
She grew up in Sligo enjoying the small-town life of knowing many of her neighbors, walking to the corner store and movie theater, and the trips to Pittsburgh to visit her grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and shop in the large department stores. Being very social, one of her early challenges was in elementary school being taught by her mother in 4th and 5th grades. During her early years she developed her lifetime love of reading and the movies.
Garnet graduated from Union Joint High School, Rimersburg Pennsylvania (May 26 1959) and began her college education at Clarion State College (PennWest Clarion) before transferring to Indiana State College (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education in the teaching of the speech and hearing handicapped (January 15 1964).
She married Frank Richard Musser on June 21 1963, decided to be a homemaker and had two children, David and John. She enjoyed many activities including bowling and golf leagues, planning the annual summer family road trip vacations through multiple states, but most of all she enjoyed being a mother.
Following her divorce in 1981, she held a series of jobs in the Pittsburgh area before returning to the teaching profession that she had pursued as a young adult, in Hinton West Virginia. Inspired by her return to teaching, she returned to school when she was 47 to further her education and earned a Master of Science degree from the West Virginia University (December 27 1989). Over the next few years she taught in North Carolina, Lewes Delaware, and finally for the majority of her career in the Wilmington Delaware area. She loved teaching her students and seeing their progress.
During summers she would spend time with her mother in Frankin Pennsylvania, traveling with her to historic sites and points of interest, and visiting her two sons. She was blessed and thrilled with her two grandchildren, Veronica in 1995 and Nathaniel in 2003.
She retired from teaching in 2006 and enjoyed spending time with friends and family, attending plays and movies, finding that one good slot machine at the casino, and watching tennis.
In 2023 she relocated to Celebration Villa in State College where she made many new friends, enjoyed many activities including bingo and trivia, and enjoyed being closer to her family. The family would like to thank the staff for taking good care of her and for their kindness and support during her time there.
Left to cherish her memory are her son David and his wife Jill (Smith) of State College, her son John of Erie, and her grandchildren Veronica (Locascio) of Denver and Nathaniel of State College. She was preceded in death by her sister Elaine (Greenlee) December 31, 2023.
Per her wishes, all services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donors choice.