Obituary of Donald Parke Eckman

DONALD P. ECKMAN April 6th 1914 – July 31st 2012 Don was born April 6, 1914 in the Willapa Harbor town of South Bend, Washington as the first child of Parke and Lillian Eckman. He moved to Corvallis, Oregon as a child where in his senior year at Corvallis High, he met his future wife Doris. His best friend, Mansfield, asked Don if he would take Doris to the senior picnic for him, as he was unable. Four years later they married which resulted in 70 blissful years together. Don was forever grateful to him and they became lifelong friends. At Oregon State College(university), Don majored in business, served as business manager of the student daily newspaper and was a varsity track letterman in the high jump and high hurdles. His B.S. in business made him an attractive candidate to The Bank of California, which hired him in 1936 right out of college for their management training program. Don was taking law courses at night when war broke out in Europe and the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He joined the Naval Reserve and was sent to the U S Naval Supply Corps School at Harvard University in 1943. He served 2 years on the USS Maryland battleship which was struck 2 different times, once by a torpedo from a plane near the Philippines and later by a kamakazi plane after they had finished bombarding Okinawa. After VJ Day, Don's ship went back and forth carrying veterans home in what was known as the Magic Carpet. He was released from active duty as a lieutenant in 1946. He returned to The Bank of California in Portland advancing to Vice President and head of the trust department in 1965. In 1969 he was transferred to the head office in San Francisco until his retirement in 1972 as the VP and Head of Trust Administration for Northern California. Don couldn't resist the opportunity when he was asked to set up a trust department at the Commercial Bank of Salem, so they moved back to Oregon to the delight of family and friends. Meanwhile, Don served on the Board of Trustees' for the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon in Portland. When the chief executive officer left, he was recruited to take over. He spent nine years as CEO, overseeing an organization that solicited contributions to support medical research, including grants to researchers at universities and medical schools. Among the research conducted was the successful development of a heart valve, which an engineer and a surgeon designed together. After finally retiring for real, Don and Doris took several trips visiting, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Denmark and England. They also took a cruise through the South Pacific including Australia and New Zealand. Don's advice to others, especially retirees, was to keep active and do as many community things as you can. He lived his life this way. Just some examples are: member of the Rotary Club of Portland, was a treasurer for the delta tau delta fraternity alumni chapter, a trustee of Oregon State University Foundation, a former member of the Portland Chamber of Commerce ect. He and Doris played golf l their nineties, enjoyed dancing with the Portland Heights Dance Club and playing bridge with their many life long friends. Family was very important to him. He was a great example of how to be connected and involved with them. He kept in touch with many relatives across the country through the Eckman family round robin newsletters. Was involved in many family reunions over several years where the entertainment was plentiful and the puns just kept coming. Not many people know that Don also liked to draw and one time thought of becoming a cartoonist. He didn't think there was much to be made so became a banker instead. His portrait of Doris is cherished by the family. During the war he sent letters to his son, Martin by including drawings showing what things on the ship looked like (his bunk area for example). Don, is preceded in death by his wife, Doris, sisters Lucille Dahl and Mildred Farel. Survived by his son Martin Eckman, his daughter Lucinda "Cindy" Liberty. Grandsons Eldon Eckman and Allen Eckman. Granddaughters Jennifer Rosenbaum and Jessica Liberty. Great Grandsons, Parker Eckman and Jaydon Rosenbaum and his great great grandson, Brodan Eckman. HE WAS A BIG SUPPORTER AND FAN OF THE OREGON STATE BEAVERS. Contributions can be made online to The Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center through the OHSU Foundation website. By mail: send check or money order to; OHSU Foundation Mailstop 45 PO Box 4000, Portland, Oregon 97208-9852. You also may donate to: The Charlie Farel Memorial Scholarship (All donations are tax deductible) Make check to; Colorado MESA , Make Check memo to: (Farel Scholarship – Eckman) Mail check to: Colorado MESA PO Box 173364 Campus Box 104, Denver, CO 80217 Service Information