Robert “Bob” T. Eckelkamp
After a brief illness, Robert T. (Bob) Eckelkamp, of St. Louis, MO, passed away at age 68 on Friday, May 10thwith his family by his side and fortified in the Sacraments of the Holy Mother Church.
Loving husband of 47 years to Jane (nee Magnan); loving father of Kathie and Mike Eckelkamp, (Janel); and loving grandfather of Kailey, G-pa to Khloe, and Aubree. Beloved son of the late Ralph & Vera Eckelkamp; loving brother of the late Ralph Eckelkamp, Jr. and Joseph T. (Cathy) Eckelkamp; dear uncle of Joe (Nicole), Joseph T. “Ted” (Sarah), Matt, Mark, and Laura Eckelkamp, and many nieces & nephews of Jane; dear great-uncle, brother-in-law, cousin, nephew, and friend. He will be deeply missed by many people on a daily basis.
A memorial mass is at 12:00 on Wednesday, May 22nd at St. Catherine Laboure, located at 9740 Sappington Rd., Sappington, MO 63128. Because Bob was a tissue and organ donor, a visitation will not be held. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name to The American Lung
Association at https://www.lung.org/
I am sorry to learn of Bob’s death. How generous of him to be an organ donor. We lived only two doors away on Pennsylvania Avenue and I have found memories of Bob as a SFdeSales classmate. R.I.P.
May 20, 2019
I had the privilege of working with Bob when BJC lent him to St Louis ConnectCare. What a truly great guy and gentleman! Such a knowledgeable and straight forward individual that offered solid advice. Working with Bob was truly a wonderful experience. My condolences to the family for your loss; I know he will be sorely missed.
Bob is a GREAT big brother; has been all my life. Quiet, unassuming, not wanting the spotlight, he’s probably embarrassed by this post.
He’s rock-steady-no better friend can be had. Just a few of the examples that stay with me forever:
**About age 10, we had a huge argument. I tried to hit him–not wise b/c he was 18. He gently made sure I failed. :^) 10 minutes later I fell down the stairs. Despite the fight’s intensity and his being 30+ ft. further away, he beat Mom to ensure I was ok.
**When our brother, Ralph, was dying, one of us was to go with Mom and one needed to stay with Dad b/c of Dad’s health. B/c Bob knew how important it was to me, he let me go w/ Mom despite wanting to see Ralph too.
**He often said our family was unique in many (good) ways and the biggest was that love was always a “given”–never in doubt.
*When Dad was dying and struggled to accept it, Bob said “We’re all born with one purpose–to get to heaven. Only one person did that without dying and it wasn’t even Jesus–it was his MOMMA!” Dad chuckled and said “I guess you’re right.” Bob fulfilled that purpose and made life for those around him richer in the process.
I’ll miss you more than I can express–as an adviser, confidant, friend, brother and so much more–until we meet again in heaven… Say “Hi” to M&D, Ralph and the rest for me.
Your loving pain-in-the-butt little brother.
I was so sad to hear of the loss of Mr. Eckelkamp. Kathie and I were best friends in high school, which meant I spent a lot of time at the Eckelkamp house. Mr. & Mrs. Eckelkamp always welcomed me, making me feel comfortable. They treated me as if I were another daughter. Looking back on it, I have no idea how he tolerated the antics of two teenage girls. It is a testiment to the man he was. The world was a better place with him in it, and it won’t be the same without him. My thoughts, prayers, and love are with the Eckelkamp family as they grieve this loss. I pray for his soul as I’m sure he has been met with our Lord’s open arms.
I am Bob’s cousin. His mother was my father’s sister. I fondly remember Bob’s unique smile that was present most every time I saw him. Even though Bob was 5 years older, we had a connection. He was always kind and a gentleman.