Alamogordo, N.M.—Donald Rea Eckert, SCPO, US Navy, (Ret.) died Saturday, September 1, 2018 at his home in Alamogordo, N.M.
A native of New Albany, Indiana, he was the son of Elizabeth and Robert F. Eckert. He joined the Navy in 1958 and served 26 years until his retirement in 1984. He was a Senior Chief Data Processor and throughout those years traveled around the world in several ships and even a submarine. His shore duty included various intelligent services in Norfolk and Washington, D.C. After 1984, he worked as a government contractor, an IT specialist at Kaufman and Canoles, LLC and finally at the global headquarters of the Navy Exchange in Virginia Beach. He and his wife, Kathy, moved to New Mexico in 2003.
He was a self-educated, voracious reader and could take apart and put back together most anything. Any subject you mentioned, he had knowledge of and was willing to help you understand it. He loved his family very much, despite the distances between them. He will always be a part of all of us.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy, of the home, his son, Rolf (Kimberly), of Virginia Beach; his sister Joyce (William) Arnold of Floyd Knobs, IN and his brother, Robert Lee (Rhonda) Eckert of New Albany, IN. Per his wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no services. If desired, donations in his memory may be made to Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia, 6401 Auburn Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464.