William Becker, professor emeritus of economics, died on Dec. 27, at the age of 84 in Colorado Springs.

William was born on Dec. 24, 1935, in New Orleans, Louisiana, a place that would begin his love of language, arts, and music from cultures all over the world. A self-named “citizen of the world,” he traveled extensively after studying at Tulane and Louisiana State University to follow his spirit of curiosity and wonder and drink in cultural experiences. He turned that wonder into appreciation of human expression by avidly supporting local arts organizations like the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

With his CC career spanning 26 years from 1970 to 1996, William transferred his love of learning by fostering a wider view of economic history in his students. William’s last wishes were for his remains to be scattered on the Danube River “as it flows through Austria on its way to the Black Sea.” His son, Karl, will undertake this final journey for his father.