Obituary of Richard Lewis “Dick” Eckhardt

Richard Lewis Eckhardt, 69, died at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital in Cape May Court House, NJ. He was born and raised in Kearny, NJ and moved to Denville in 1959, where he lived until moving to Avalon in 1998. Dick went to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in the 1950s to become an electrical engineer. While he was in his junior year he contracted Polio, which left him paralyzed. After leaving college he became a self taught electronics repairman and started Eckhardt Electronics where he repaired radios, televisions and fire department plectrons at his home in Denville. Throughout his life he enjoyed being a licensed Ham Radio Operator, and had been an honorary Fireman in Denville. In 1994 he and his wife moved to Avalon, NJ, where he continued his passion of building models and working with electronics. He was a member of the Academy of Model Aeronautics with the Cape May County Wireless Aircraft Sports Pilots Assoc. Dick was also a member of the Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, in Rio Grande, NJ. He vol. at the Wetland Institute in Stone Harbor, and had been a member of the St. Marys Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor. He is survived by his wife, Barbara R. nee Rayner, a sister, Helen Sheehy of Amagansett, NY and a brother in-law, Norman Dean of Denville, NJ. Also, eight nieces and nephews--Susan Thorpe, Salli Innes, Scott Sheehy, Nancy Maynard, Geoffrey Dean, Richard Dean and Polly Byrne. Friends may visit with the family on Monday May 19, 2003 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the funeral home. Memorial Services will be held on Sat. May 31, 2003 at 12:00 Noon at St. Marys Episcopal Church in Stone Harbor, NJ. Donations are being accepted to either the Avalon Rescue Squad P.O. Box 233 Avalon, NJ 08202, or to the Wetland Institute 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd. Stone Harbor, NJ 08247.