Dover matriarch passes away

DOVER — A founding mother of the city has passed.

Maggie Becker, a former mayor and longtime councilwoman, died on Tuesday. She was 72 years old and is survived by her husband, Don.

“That was kind of a shock. You’re never ready for it,” said former Mayor Randy Curless, who has known Becker since 1965.

Becker, who retired from the council in 2012, helped the town incorporate in 1988 to keep it from being annexed by the city of Sandpoint, said longtime friend George Eskridge.

Her fingerprints can also be found on the city’s water and sewer systems.

During Becker’s 33 years of public service, she earned a reputation for being outspoken, transparent and honest.

“She was a straight shooter and an absolutely great and wonderful person,” said Eskridge.

Becker, Curless and former councilman Jim Janish earned a place in the annals of Idaho Transportation Department history when they hand-delivered crumbling chunks of the old Dover Bridge to the transportation board to underscore their frustration with the deteriorating span.

Becker was also pragmatic and easygoing.

Curless recalls a meeting with former developers of a housing development that would eventually become Dover Bay and council members were hungry. Becker poked Curless in the ribs and joked that they should order a pizza.

“We had pizza in the meeting,” said Curless.

Becker also ran Dover Daycare for years and former students had a habit of running up to her to say hello if they crossed paths on the street.

“Even parents would give her a hug. She took such good care of the children,” said Eskridge’s wife, Jenise.

Jenise and Becker were in Dover Girls, a low-key social club that meets on the third Wednesday of every month to have lunch, chat and crack wise. They would also reach out to needy families in the community to make sure their children had clothes and food.

“We just formed a sisterhood,” said Jenise.

Becker was also known for having a ripe sense of humor, although some of her most memorable remarks were deemed a little too blue for print in a family newspaper.

“She was always positive,” said Jenise, who remembers when Becker would catch herself treading down a negative line of thought about something or someone and change course.

Another longtime friend, Lorene Ames, said she has fond memories of barbecuing with the Beckers. Ames and Jenise said Becker never knew a stranger.

“She knew so many people and everybody that knew her really liked her,” said Ames

Becker was not originally from Dover, but nobody can now recall where she came from.

“Maggie was just Dover,” said George Eskridge.