Dolores Eckert

Dolores Eckert (nee Thurman) passed away Friday, June 19, at the age of 86. She was born July 18, 1928, to Marvin and Elizabeth Thurman. Eleven years later, at a Halloween party in south St. Louis, she met the love of her life, Alfred D. (Al) Eckert, Sr. Al jokes that Dolores flew by on a broom and he was hooked. That moment launched a perfect love story of more than seven decades. They dated in the 1940s and were married on Aug. 14, 1948. She was 20. He was 19. Two years later, they welcomed their first son, Alfred D. Eckert, Jr., who instantly captured his mother's heart. In 1955, Dolores and Al welcomed their son, Thomas Ray Eckert, into the world. Tommy, they later learned, was born with cerebral palsy, and when Dolores and Al were advised by doctors to send Tommy to a home, they stood up and said, "No way." They have been advocates for those with cerebral palsy ever since, working tirelessly to raise money for the cause. Dolores and other mothers of children with CP became known as "the Boosters," raising money by selling thousands of pounds of Christmas fruitcakes to make sure "the kids" at the United Cerebral Palsy school had everything they needed. Dolores and Al also donated their time and resources to United Cerebral Palsy and later, Pony Bird in Jefferson County, where Tommy now resides. They raised Al Jr. and Tommy in their little home on Wilmington Avenue, just down the street from their lifelong church, St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church, where Al has been ushering for decades. Dolores and Al have been staples in south St. Louis and the Carondelet Park section of their beloved city. Dolores, who never drove, walked the many blocks around her house to visit friends and neighbors, shop in local stores and visit the park with her children and grandchildren. Dolores was an unapologetic homemaker, glorying in the time she was able to spend at home raising her children - and being available to care for her three grandchildren at a moment's notice. She would battle anyone who challenged the nobility of the stay-at-home mother, often telling people that her time at home with Al Jr. and Tommy were the greatest years of her life. Many of her stories revolved around Al Jr.'s accomplishments and antics. Al and Dolores traveled many places over the years, but their favorite destination was Montauk State Park, where they traveled year after year with their family and close friends to catch trout, drink a few beers and celebrate life. She and Al were devoted St. Louis Cardinals fans, and she had a special fondness for Willie McGee. Dolores saw her grandchildren graduate high school, graduate college and cried when they, one-by-one, moved away. But she never let distance become a barrier. When she could, she visited. And when she couldn't, she called. In her later years, as she began to lose mobility, Al Sr. became her caretaker. He never left her side, even when it was nearly physically impossible to do the daily things that needed to be done. They're motto: "It will get better." As long as they were together, life was perfect. Throughout her life, Dolores modeled Christ's command to love others, and nothing came before her husband and her family. Her family is her legacy. She will be missed beyond measure. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Jean Kuchenbach. She is survived by Al Eckert, Sr., her husband of 66 years; sons Alfred (Jacki) Eckert, Jr., of Ballwin, and Tommy Eckert, of Mapaville; grandchildren, Eric (Corinn) Eckert, of Temple, Texas, Tyler Eckert, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Abby Eckert, of Tyler, Texas; great grandchildren Michael, Evan and Caleb Eckert; many nieces and nephews. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dolores' niece and nephew-in-law Sandy and John Schroll for their love and support during this time. If you so choose, the family asks that any donations be made to Pony Bird. ponybird.com June 23, 2015
04:00 pm - 8:00 pm
John L. Ziegenhein & Sons
7027 Gravois Rd. St. Louis, MO 63116
June 24, 2015
10:00 am -
St. Stephen Protomartyr Catholic Church
3949 Wilmington St. Louis, MO 63116