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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The passing of Brian H. Eckler of San Antonio on |
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April 23, 2013, at the age of 69, has brought a great loss to his |
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family, his friends, and the community he served with such |
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dedication; and |
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WHEREAS, Born September 15, 1943, in Johnstown, New York, |
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Brian Eckler was the son of George and Helen Eckler; he graduated |
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from Johnstown High School and embarked on a long and distinguished |
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career in the United States Air Force; first posted to Norfolk, |
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England, he went on to serve in Diyarbakir, Turkey, and at the |
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Presidential Aeronautical Station on Andrews Air Force Base in |
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Maryland; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Eckler met his future wife, Lora Devlon |
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Kartchner, while stationed in the Washington, D.C., area, and after |
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their marriage, he was transferred to Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo |
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to prepare for entry into the USAF Security Service; he served at |
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Karamursel Common Defense Installation, Turkey, and then with the |
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6970 Electronic Security Group at the National Security Agency in |
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Maryland; further training took him to Corry Naval Station in |
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Pensacola, Florida, where he developed an enduring fondness for |
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pink flamingos; and |
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WHEREAS, During a posting with the 6920 ESG at Misawa AFB in |
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Japan, Mr. Eckler joined his wife in volunteering to instruct local |
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teachers in conversational English and American customs; his |
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subsequent adventures included two stints with the Air Force |
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Cryptologic Support Center at Kelly AFB and a remote, unaccompanied |
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tour to 2146th Com Group, Osan Air Base, in South Korea, which |
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enabled him to visit every mountaintop in the country at least once; |
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he finally retired at the rank of master sergeant in 1987, long |
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after he had reached his eligibility as a disabled veteran; still |
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not quite ready to relax, he joined an elite team of security |
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experts dispatched to the new embassy in Moscow, Russia, on a |
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mission that required improvising outdoor inspection procedures in |
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temperatures that plunged to 40 below zero; and |
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WHEREAS, Once settled in San Antonio, Mr. Eckler became very |
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active in his neighborhood association and volunteered tirelessly |
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alongside his wife at the local library and elementary school, as |
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well as at a host of community events; he was always ready to lend a |
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hand when needed, and he enjoyed caring for feral cats and kittens, |
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in addition to his own cat, Ms. Bootsie; he worked some night shifts |
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in security, and in his spare time, he was a voracious reader and |
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researcher; he liked cooking elaborate meals, discovering new food, |
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and driving around in his vintage Volkswagen bus with its |
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ever-changing bumper stickers; having grown a snowy beard to |
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complement his mustache, he was often mistaken for Santa by |
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delighted children, although his wardrobe of colorful T-shirts |
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would never have passed muster at the North Pole; and |
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WHEREAS, Brian Eckler will be deeply missed, and those who |
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were fortunate enough to know him will forever remember their |
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favorite explorer, who never stopped learning and lived life to the |
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fullest for all of his days; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Brian H. Eckler and |
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extend sincere sympathy to his wife of 44 years, Lora Eckler, and to |
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his other loved ones; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Brian |
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Eckler. |