Daniel Sequoyah Beck, III

Daniel Sequoyah Beck III, age 79, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of January 17, 2026, from complications of peripheral vascular disease at Sandstone Estates in Tucson, AZ. Since losing his leg to diabetes in 2022, Dan’s health had significantly declined, and he had been on hospice care since last summer.

Dan was born on March 9, 1946, in Arkansas City, KS, to Daniel S. Beck, Jr. and Dorothy Faye Beck (Spruill). He graduated in 1964 from Ark City High School, where he participated in student government and on the debate team. Dan served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the California Mission and graduated in 1970 from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications. While at BYU, he met and married Linda Sue McClain. They lived in Salt Lake City, UT, had two sons (Jeffrey and Matthew), and divorced in 1984. Dan had two more sons (Travis and Austin) with Kalia Coller. For the past three decades, Dan lived in Tucson—most of that time with his partner, Dorothia Rashell Johnson, who served as his primary caretaker as his health declined.

Blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Dan started and operated many small businesses during his lifetime. At BYU, he and a friend started a business to bring musical talent to campus. He and his first wife, Linda, started a gift and home accessory store in 1973 in Salt Lake City, which eventually became The Basket Loft. Also in Salt Lake, he started a kitchen supply store (The Peddler’s Pantry) and two restaurants (Pasta Mulino and La Bouchee). After moving to Tucson, Dan became a certified master gardener and ran a landscape maintenance, design, and installation business (Desert Horticultural Specialists) for over twenty years.

A life-long learner and lover of books, Dan was known for his quick wit and generosity. He loved a good prank or joke and making others laugh. In his landscaping business, he often served as a lifeline to those in need of help by providing employment and friendship to people who otherwise might not be able to find a job.

Dan was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother Joseph Beck. He is survived by his partner, Rashell Johnson; his sister, Mona Beck Thomas of Salt Lake City, UT; his four sons, Jeffrey Beck of Salt Lake City, UT, Matthew Archer-Beck of Burke, VA, Travis Coller of Salt Lake City, UT, and Austin Coller of Navarre, FL; and five grandchildren.

A heartfelt thanks to the team at Haven Hospice who helped care for Dan over the past several months. 

Dan will be laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, KS.