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--> --> Sorrow grips us all in wake of air disaster Tragedies hit small towns especially hard. And when disaster strikes at the hearts of little children, worlds collide and the pain is virtually unbearable. Wednesday morning was a dark day in Ashland. Dean Ray Beckett, Sr., 62, of Macdoel, Calif. flew his Beech Baron twin engine plane into a mountainside near Pilot Rock shortly after taking off from the Ashland Municipal Airport. On board were his son Dean Ray Beckett, Jr., 33, and daughter-in-law Kara Elaine Jeffries-Beckett, 34, both of Ashland. All three perished in the crash. Left behind were the four Beckett children - a toddler and three young students of Briscoe Elementary School. According to an air safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, the aircraft struck just 300 feet below a ridge top. "It looks like they almost made it," he said. Almost. Ashland is stunned. We discover that the father and mother were outstanding citizens, having touched the hearts of many Ashlanders through their children and their generous natures. Jeff Schlecht, principal of Briscoe Elementary School, described Kara as a supermom. "The kids adored her," he said. Rick Landt, an Ashland Parks Commissioner, was a family friend and remembered Dean, Jr. as an honest, hard-working man and Kara as always reaching out to help others. "He was a great dad," said Ashland City Councilor Chris Hearn. "They were a bright light in the community," said family friend Laura Nichols. There is an account set up to help the children through the Davis Gilstrap Client Trust Account at Umpqua Bank in Ashland. We can all help with our donations, to ensure that "bright light" is never extinguished. Our hearts go out to all the members of the Beckett family, to their friends, and to all the lives that were touched by this remarkable couple. Meanwhile, the angels weep. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing