Paul T. Ecker's Obituary
Paul Ecker a long-time resident of Lakewood passed away on October 14, 2017 due to complications from Parkinson’s and Pneumonia. He spent his last year and half at Coralwood a AFH in Oakbrook where he was cared for by the staff. Paul Lived a full life and a few extra innings in Baseball language.
Paul’s life started out in Baldwin, WI on Nov 20, 1922 born to Minnie & Ted Ecker. He lived there on the family farm until 1927 when the family moved to Ottertail, MN to run the family farm owned by his mother’s parents. After his maternal Grandfather died in 1933 the family moved back to once again run the family farm in Baldwin, WI. Paul went to Middle and High School there graduating in 1941, among his sports talents was being member of the basketball team. Paul talked about growing up on the farm back then never having electricity until 1943 and never having a newspaper. Paul from early on was a builder and a fixer, he built a ‘Crystal Set’ sort of a radio that used no electricity. The first motorized vehicle he owned was mostly a tractor with some car parts added on. In middle school he often rode a horse drawn cutter to town during the winter to stay at his grandparent’s house, so it was easier to get to school. Quite often he said he had the road to himself not many cars were in use during the great depression.
After High School he worked the family farm to help his folk’s but during the low season he traveled to Dover on the East Coast and spent a few months working building Landing ships for the WWII effort. In the winter months he worked at the slaughter house in So St. Paul. After this he took classes in business college graduating there and landing a job at Sears in Minneapolis in 1948. He stayed with the company until retiring in 1986. While living in Mpls and attending social dances where he met the love of his life Marzie Tarum in 1948. They married on May 27,1950 and soon started their first project building a house in Richfield, MN. Paul said he didn’t take out a mortgage he took out a building loan to buy supplies of wood, cement, shingles, nails, whatever was needed. They also took time out for their first major and belated Honeymoon trip to the East Coast visiting New York City and Washington DC in 1951. That started a tradition of taking major car trips every few years for vacations.
Together they raised three children starting with Bob B.1953, Dan B.1958, and Jeri B.1962. They went to AZ with Paul’s parents in 1957, next out to Boston in 1958 along the way seeing Niagara Falls and FDR’s house. In 1963 the family visited Washington State by way of Colorado for the first time and a seed was planted. In 1965 the family visited Washington DC taking in the history of the nation’s capital. Once again in 1967 the family headed west stopping at the sights in Colorado before reaching Washington State again. After that Paul put in for a transfer with Sears and the family moved out to Washington State and Lakewood for good in Sept 1969. Once settling in Paul & Marzie soon got to work fixing up their house and yard. They also found a home for the family at Christ Lutheran Church and were active members until they were physically unable to attend anymore. During that time Paul assisted in ground work especially when the new Sanctuary was built and numerous maintenance issues, along with running Marzie out there for quilting.
They started camping on trips to save on costs, and that spread to short weekend trips to local campgrounds for the whole family from MN to WA. In WA they especially loved camping at the Nat Park on the coast. In 1972 the family traveled down to CA camping at points along the ocean and saw Disneyland; other 70’s trips were back to MN to see relatives. Once Paul retired in 1986 after 38 years with Sears he and Marzie started going to AZ to see his Sister down there. The trips soon became longer until they were spending a good 5 months down there and even bought a trailer to live in. There they made many new lifelong friends with common interests of dancing, cards, and traveling. These were the happy years of retirement. Paul also took over the gardening duties of maintaining all the outside plants. He loved it when the hummingbirds stopped by for a sip on the hanging plants. People loved Paul and even animals dogs he didn’t know would come up to him to be petted where the rest of us would be barked at. He made friends with the grocery clerks who all wanted to know how he was doing, and after his passing would say he was such a sweet man
In 2006 going to AZ stopped due to Marzie’s medical issues with Dementia which resulted in her going to a care center from 2010 -2016. Now it became the medical years Paul visited and supported Marzie almost every day playing cards, bringing her snacks, and taking her to medical appointments. He even did this in the face of his own physical difficulties and health issues. Paul was a person of upmost devotion right up to when Marzie passed away, and maybe that is what kept him alive. This is the passing of one more of the WWII generation and for us the last live link to family history. Now
if a question comes up there will be no one to ask and any personal reference is gone, now just history for the younger generations.
Paul had his first heart attack in 1987, and then had multiple bypass operation in 2000, followed by stents put in 2006 and yet he thrived. From heart problems to leg clots Paul continued to bounce back from health setbacks you thought he was indestructible. But in Dec 2015 he fell and hitting his head and that started problems he could not bounce back from. Congestive heart failure and Parkinson’s rate of increase began, Paul went from the hospital, next to rehab, and onto the AFH of Coralwood in Oakbrook from March 2016 to Oct 2017. There he was cared for by the staff and supported by his Children Jeri, Dan, with Bob spending the most time due to living so close. Right up to the end Paul enjoyed playing cards, eating snacks brought to him, and short trips around the Tacoma area. It was a bout with Pneumonia this past October that his body just could not fight off when he passed away surrounded by his family. Paul is survived by his son Robert of Lakewood WA, son Dainiel (Bonnie) of Spanaway WA, daughter Jeri (Jim) of Redmond OR; plus granddaughter Nicole of Phoenix, AZ and grandson Josh of Langley AFB, Virginia.
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