Franklin Fred Eckhart, Sr.
1931-2020
Franklin F. Eckhart of Edmond, OK passed away December 18, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. He was born on March 18, 1931 to Fred and Hilda Eckhart in Palmerton, PA. After spending his boyhood working on the family farm, Frank was the first in his family to attend high school and college, graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering.
After meeting in college, he married Donna J. Eckhart on April 3, 1954. Their marriage endured for 58 years, until Donna’s death in 2012. They were blessed with 5 children: Brian, Gale, Kevin, Scot and Franklin Jr. After graduation from college on a ROTC scholarship, Frank served his country as a Naval aviator, flying the S2F Submarine Hunter/Killer during the cold war.
Upon fulfilling his commitment to the military, Frank attended Princeton University, where he obtained a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He then moved with his growing family to Buffalo, NY where he went to work as a test pilot for the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories (later known as Calspan). His efforts there included much of the early work on the space shuttle, and Frank worked closely with many future astronauts on developing in-flight simulation, particularly of the shuttle’s approach and landing capabilities. He simultaneously flew in the Air National Guard, where he retired at the rank of Major. In the mid-1970s, Frank transitioned to a career in education, and served as an associate professor at Oklahoma State University until his retirement.
Frank, along with Donna, loved to travel, enjoying time with family and taking great pride in his children and grandchildren. As an example of their love of travel and family, Donna and Frank arranged and paid for a family Caribbean Disney Cruise (including children and grandchildren) and later, a trip to Hawaii.
He is survived by his children: son Brian Eckhart (and wife Jean) of Santa Barbara, CA; daughter Gale Mills (and husband Robin) of Bartlesville, OK; son Kevin Eckhart (and wife Marilee) of Portsmouth, NH; son Scot Eckhart (and wife Dawn) of Edmond, OK; and son Franklin Jr. (and wife Karen) of Houston, TX. He is also survived by grandchildren Trevor and Lauren Eckhart of Santa Barbara, CA; Benjamin Mills of Lansing, MI; Nathan and Reid Eckhart of Portsmouth, NH; Bradford Eckhart (and wife Paige) of Fort Worth, TX; Bayley Foster (and husband Michael) of Houston, TX; Andrew Eckhart of Edmond, OK; Kathryn Eckhart of Atlanta, GA; Karoline Eckhart of Pittsburgh, PA; and Keilah Eckhart of Houston, TX.
Visitation with the family will be held at Matthews Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Edmond, OK from 5:00 PM through 8:00 PM on Wednesday, December 30th, with a private family burial the following morning at Rose Hill Burial Park in Oklahoma City, OK. A memorial service and life celebration will be held at a future date and time yet to be determined after COVID. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made by check to the Donna J. Eckhart Endowed Scholarship for Nursing at Oklahoma Christian University, Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 1100, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100.