Robert D. “Bob Eck” Eckelbarger

February 09, 2019 Last Updated: February 09, 2019 10:00 AM Death Notice

Robert D. “Bob Eck” Eckelbarger, 80, of Emlenton, a retired Emlenton businessman, went to be with the Lord late Monday evening in the comfort of his home surrounded by his loving family.

Robert was born April 23, 1938, in Olean, N.Y. He was the son of the late Eugene L. and Louisa Holcomb Eckelbarger Bailey.

Bob was a 1956 graduate of Emlenton High School.

He was a well known Emlenton businessman and had owned and operated the Buick Pontiac dealership at Bishop Motors for eight years. Bob and his wife, Beverly, were also the owner/operators of the Emlenton Water Co. for 40 years. He was a lifelong member of the Waterworks Operators Association of Pennsylvania and a lifelong member of the American Waterworks Association.

As a young boy, Bob had a love for heavy equipment, excavating and dirt work, and fulfilled his lifelong dream of working in that business full-time when he founded Eck's Dirt Work in Emlenton in 1985.

“Bob Eck” had an excellent reputation as a skillful heavy equipment operator; his knowledge and expertise were highly respected by his many customers.

Bob was a classic and muscle car enthusiast and enjoyed the races at Lernerville and various dirt tracks. He looked forward to attending the annual cousins reunion, which was held by different cousins in various states across the country.

Bob was a longtime member of the Emlenton United Methodist Church and served the church as trustee for many years and was very instrumental in planning and building the new church in 1993. Bob also attended the Salem Reformed United Church of Christ in Lamartine.

In his earlier years, he was a member of the Oddfellows Lodge in Emlenton and had been a longtime member of the board of directors of the Emlenton Cemetery Co.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly F. Ritchey Eckelbarger; two daughters, Debora F. King and her husband, Ted, of Kansas City, Kan., and Carla M. Hays and her husband, Fred, of Emlenton; a son, Barry E. Eckelbarger of Emlenton; three grandchildren, Ben McDowell of Kansas City, Kan., Emily Kloter and her husband, Steve, of Castle Rock, Colo., and Sarah Yates and her husband, Matt, of Centreville, Va.; three great-grandchildren, Atleigh Kloter and Jacob and Abigail Yates; two brothers, General Donald Eckelbarger U.S. Army retired and his wife, Ann, of Marble Falls, Texas, and Earl Eckelbarger and his wife, Karen, of Westerville, Ohio; a sister, Anne Carr and her husband, Dick, of Mesa, Ariz., a sister-in-law, Joyce Beels Eckelbarger of Fort Wayne, Ind.; as well as a number of nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by a brother, Nelson Eckelbarger; his stepfather, Clarence “Slim” Bailey; as well as his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

ECKELBARGER — Friends of Robert D. “Bob Eck” Eckelbarger, who died Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, will be received from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Hile Funeral Home, 1204 Kerr Ave., Emlenton, and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Emlenton United Methodist Church.A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. from the church with the Rev. Paula Grucza, church pastor, and the Rev. Chris Lewis, pastor of the Salem Reformed United Church of Christ in Lamartine, co-officiating.Private interment will be in the Emlenton Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to the Emlenton United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 721, Emlenton, PA 16373.For additional information or to send a condolence, please visit www.hilefh.com.