It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mildred "Millie" Rae Beck, 61 of Champaign, IL who left us on April 27, 2026 after her long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Baier Family Funeral Services, 406 E. Pells St., Paxton. Baier Family Funeral Services, Paxton is assisting the family with arrangements.

Millie was born in Quincy, IL on March 16, 1965 to Roy Lynch and Janice Fuhrman. She married Charlie Kaleb Beck on June 25, 1987 but later divorced after they had welcomed three fantastic children into the world.

Millie attended Payson Seymour High School in Payson, IL; obtained her Associates in Psychology from Culver Stockton in Canton Missouri from 1983-1985, and then got her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2007 from Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan. Millie was a bedside nurse at Keweenaw Memorial Hospital from 2000-2015 and then at Carle Health in Urbana, IL from 2015-2025 on Carle Tower 6B, where she became a certified medical-surgical nurse.

Millie was a one-of-a-kind person who laughed, made jokes, could make you smile with no effort, and would be your second set of hands or ears whenever it was needed. She was an avid reader, collected anything with her beloved elephants, and was a podcast enthusiast. One of Millie's favorite titles she had was Mimi to the best grandson in the world. She took time to volunteer at a local animal shelter, organize collections for Project Success of Vermillion County, loved to sit outside and have coffee dates with her friends as well as tending to her flowers and spending time with her best girl, Kora.

Millie is survived by her children; Andrew K. (Molly Hayden) Beck of Gwinn, Michigan; Brian C.  (Laura) Beck of Baraga, Michigan; and Sarah N. (Sergio Spinelli) Beck of Pasadena, Maryland. She is also survived by her sister, Francine Williams and brother-in-law Kevin Williams Sr. of Rantoul, IL and brother Paul Edmonson of Quincy, IL. Millie is also leaving behind her grandson, Charlie K. Beck, who elevated her to her Mimi status, which she was so proud of.

Millie's love will surely be missed by her nieces and nephews, Cody S. Wesolowski, Troy Mason, Amber Edmonson, A.J. Edmonson, and Kadyn Williams. Those preceding Millie in death are her parents Roy Lynch and Janice Fuhrman; grandparents, Mildred A. Snider, Frances P. Williams, Elbert J. Williams; sister, Edna M. Weslowski, and Uncle Lloyd Fuhrman. Millie is forever grateful to her grandma Frances, grandpa Elbert, and Uncle Lloyd for their love and ability to raise her to be a strong and independent woman.

While Millie has accomplished a lot in her life, one of the most impactful was her nursing career. Being a nurse was who Millie was as a person, it was part of her identity. To Millie, nursing was more than just a job, it was her ultimate calling. She went to work every shift to provide the best care possible to each and every patient she met. The love that she had for nursing was profound and even more than that was the love she had for her family, friends, and her work family. She will be missed more than anyone can express but we are comforted in knowing that she is at peace.

In lieu of flowers, Millie wished for donations to be made to pancreatic cancer research. Millie also requested her work family be dressed in scrubs for her memorial, so her immediate family knows who you are- her very special work family.