John Ecker Obituary

John “Jack” V. Ecker, age 86, of Des Moines, Iowa passed away on Thursday November 21, 2024 while he was a resident at Urbandale Health Care facility in Urbandale, Iowa.

Jack Ecker was born May 8, 1938 to Paul and Helene Ecker in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He was baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church. In his youth served as an altar boy. He was a member of several Des Moines Catholic churches over the years including St. Ambrose, The Basilica of St. John, and Holy Trinity. He continued to serve the church as an usher and enjoyed visiting churches in Kansas City and Chicago during vacations.

Jack graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, with a degree in Journalism in 1960. He served honorably in the Air Force as a 1st Lieutenant from 1962 to 1968. Following the military, he worked briefly for the Iowa State Highway Commission and then at the Iowa Department of Workforce Development for 43 years where he helped clients secure jobs that matched their skills.

Jack and Linda M. Bruns were married on September 30, 1978 at the First Presbyterian Church in Alta, Iowa. They were blessed with their daughter, Lisa. Following the end of his marriage in 1998, Jack met Diane K. Smith in 2001. They were together until Diane’s death in 2021.

As an alumnus of Drake University, Jack was a strong supporter of the athletic program, attending most games, the Relays, and donating to the Bulldog Club each year. Jack also supported Kansas State athletics, since he was good friends with Coach Dana Altman and game announcer Mitch Holthus. He attended their games in Manhattan, Kansas every chance he could.

Jack was well-known for his love of both passenger and freight trains. He took his family on numerous trips by passenger train, which became known as Amtrack. Many of the trips were to station yards, just to watch trains. He was a “train encyclopedia”; he knew the grade of every rail line and every train route’s scheduled arrival and departure times across the country. One of his fondest memories was taking his grandsons on the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad.

Survivors include his daughter, Lisa (Ryan) Rendina and their two sons, Samuel and James of Maryland; Diane Smith’s daughters, Debbie, Sherri, Terri, and Amy of Iowa. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, his uncle, Bill Vaughan, who was very close to him, and his partner, Diane Smith.

Visitation will be held from 9:30-10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 27, 2024 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 2926 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, with the Mass of Christian Burial beginning at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Glendale Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to Drake Athletics and or Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.

Arrangements by Iles Westover Chapel

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