William Eugene Eckhardt

William Eugene Eckhardt of Abiquiu died Sunday night in Albuquerque at age 86. He had been a resident of the Abiquiu area since 1994 after retiring to New Mexico in 1989 from his position as president and CEO of the Bundy Tubing Co. in Detroit, Mich. A veteran of the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves. He was a dedicated father and a lover of animals, including numerous pets and his beloved horse, Big Boy. His sense of humor was well known as was his ability to relate to nearly everyone he met. In addition to his work as a visual artist, he was known as a local benefactor, providing donations to such agencies as Espanola Humane, The Horse Shelter at Los Cerrillos and the fire department and library in Abiquiu. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jeri Eckhardt; three children, D. Reed Eckhardt of Cheyenne, Wyo., Randy Freeman of Nashville, Tenn., and Robyn Eckhardt of Piedmont, Italy; three grandchildren, Kaycee Lyn Eckhardt of Asheville, N.C., Breckany Teal Eckhardt of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Simone Nicole de Vallee Eckhardt of Albuquerque, N.M.; and one great-grandchild, Yuna Darling Houska of Asheville, N.C. He was preceded in death by his parents, William W. Eckhardt and Katie M. “Honey” Taube of Chicago, Ill. No services are planned. Cremation has taken place under the direction of FRENCH-University. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Humane Espanola, 108 Hamm Parkway, Espanola, NM 87532.