Beth Pesek
/Beth Pesek
Four States Living Tribute To Women
photo by KENDAL DOCKERY PHOTOGRAPHY
A retired business education/technology applications teacher, Beth Pesek doesn’t recall having a specific career in mind as she was growing up, but influencing young people through teaching was in the cards. Upon graduating from DeKalb High School, she enrolled in Texarkana College. During her early years in college, she was drawn to business classes and began leaning toward a career in education. Once she began taking education courses at the University of Arkansas, she knew that she was in the right field. She then earned a master’s degree in education from East Texas State University–Texarkana, now Texas A&M–Texarkana.
Beth and Leon with their grandchildren on March 22, 2022. Leon is holding Hudson, Beth is holding River Rose, and Kase and Brooks are standing in front.
As an educator, Beth Pesek was committed to her students and learned to be open to trying new things. “My students learned skills that are useful for a lifetime,” Beth Pesek admits. “Occasionally, I see a former student or receive a Facebook message from former students thanking me for teaching them to type, or that a skill learned in my classroom has helped in their career. I loved working with students in my classroom and helping them achieve success.”
Open and honest, Beth often observed that inappropriate classroom behavior usually meant that the students had underlying reasons for acting out. She loved working with at-risk students in her classroom and helped them achieve success appropriate for their level. She recalls, “One of the principals I worked with was always open to listening to problems. However, his rule was that a solution must be suggested for each problem.”
Out of the four high schools in Texarkana, Beth has taught at three of them—Texas High, Arkansas High, and Pleasant Grove High School. Her teaching career was impacted by technology and provided plenty of opportunities for continued learning. “When I first began teaching typing, students used IBM electric typewriters,” she recalls. “As time went by, word processors were added. Computers became a staple in my classroom while at PGHS. Technology continued to evolve, and I began working to add Technology Applications to my teaching certificate. By the time I retired, I was teaching Computer Applications, Digital Graphics and Animation and Multimedia.”
Beth and her husband, Judge Leon Pesek, Jr. will celebrate their 40th anniversary in August. Their son, Trey (34), and his wife, Gena, have two children; Kase is 5 years old and River Rose is 1 year old. The Peseks’ daughter, Katie (29), and her husband, Eric Osburn, have two children; Brooks is 3 years old and Hudson is 2 years old. Since retiring, Beth spends much of her free time volunteering. She is a supporter and board member for 1st Choice Pregnancy Center, an organization that is near and dear to her heart. “Life is precious, and a young teenage girl chose not to abort her baby. Thanks to her, Leon and I were able to adopt our son, Trey.” Another cause that is important to Beth is the Salvation Army where she is a board member of the Women’s Auxiliary.
Beth enjoys traveling to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Although she is not a beach person, she loves to sit on the balcony in the mornings with a cup of coffee and walk along the water line looking for shells later in the day. Beth’s all-time favorite vacation is taking cruises. She also looks forward to attending her grandsons’ sporting events. “I’m not a big sports fan but will soon be on the sidelines cheering my grandsons in their T-ball games,” she admits. “My hobbies include planting flowers, taking a mosaic art class, and collecting Waterford crystal Christmas ornaments. I do have one dog, Chubby, a Shih Tzu. My father-in-law lived with us for several years, and he wanted a dog, which is how Chubby came to live with us. When my father-in-law moved to a memory care unit, we kept Chubby and would take him for an occasional visit. Chubby continues to rule our household.”
The two people who have influenced Beth the most during her adult life are her in-laws, Leon and Shirley Pesek. She shares that she learned the importance of faith, family, and giving back to the community from them. “They were always available to offer valuable advice along the way. Shirley was like a mother to me, and we liked the same things,” she says. “Leon, Sr. taught me to cook Czech klobasneks (we call them pigs in the blanket) and continue the family tradition of enjoying them every year for Christmas.”
Beth loves living in Texarkana. She has enjoyed watching the recent rejuvenation of downtown properties and events. Although she doesn’t travel to Little Rock, Dallas, or Shreveport often, doing so is easy to do from Texarkana. She concludes, “After visiting other cities, I’ve learned that our city has nonprofits that are supported by citizens in the Ark-La-Tex. Some of the places I’ve visited aren’t as lucky.”
Beth believes that the most important thing a young woman can do is get an education, post-secondary or training, as one never knows what may happen throughout their lifetime. Beth’s mother became a widow at 24 years old with two children under 4 years of age. Beth encourages the younger generation to always give their best with whatever they are doing. “Be kind to others. Take good care of your body by eating healthy foods and exercise regularly,” she encourages. “Be a lifelong learner, and surround yourself with positive people.”
“Whatever path God has you take, He will help you navigate.”
- as seen by Beth’s brother-in-law, Phil Pesek, on a church sign
The way Heather Richardson-Green sees her
Talking about Mrs. Beth Pesek takes more than one paragraph; she embodies more than one paragraph can hold. When describing her, the first word that comes to my mind is classic; however, many versions of that word miss the core of who she is genuinely. Old Hollywood class, new class, southern class, Christian class ... Mrs. Pesek truly has the most giving, humble, unbiased Godly heart, all while having more class than most people have in their pinkie. She views and cares for people unconditionally and wholeheartedly.
I visit with Mrs. Pesek biweekly (sometimes weekly), and she never mutters a negative word about anyone or anything. She always has the most compassion and concern for everyone within her reach. I am a better person for knowing Mrs. Pesek. Her kindness, loyalty, and unbiased love have molded me into the woman I am and helped my heart to be more genuine.
Thank you Beth, as your closest people call you, for having the most Godlike heart here on Earth and having more class than most I know. You are an angel on earth in my eyes, and I didn’t even scrape the surface of who you are to so many! People don’t get much more genuine than Beth Pesek, and I’m a better person for knowing her.