Dorris E Eckel
March 6, 1923 ~ March 19, 2009
Dorris Elaine "Dottie" Eckel, 86, of Lamberton Street, Rocky Grove, left this life to be with her Lord at 4:25 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2009, at UPMC Northwest. Born March 6, 1923, in Bradford, she was a daughter of Earl W. and Lillian Mae Minium McCool. She attended Cranberry and Franklin high schools and met her future husband, Leo Thomas Eckel, while a student at Franklin High School. When Mr. Eckel was called to military service, he proposed to her and they were married June 1, 1943, in Kansas City, Mo., where he was stationed with the Army Air Corps at North American Aviation. The young couple was later stationed at Hamilton Air Base in Fresno, Calif., and Fort Lawton, Wash. It was while her husband was serving in the Aleutian Islands that Mrs. Eckel worked at Boeing Aircraft in Seattle, Wash., doing electrical wiring on the B-17 and B-29 bombers. After her husband's return from the Aleutians, the couple moved to Dover Army Air Base at Dover, Del., and later to Andrews Air Base near Washington, D.C. After Mr. Eckel's discharge, the couple returned home to Franklin. Mrs. Eckel worked at Joy, Polk State School and Hospital, CPT and retired as credit manager of Conair Inc. Her goal was always to better herself through education no matter where she was living. While at Boeing Aircraft, she worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week and still found time to attend classes at the local business college. Her love of learning continued throughout her life. She was an active member, as her health permitted, of St. Patrick Church in Franklin, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the Franklin Woman's Club, the Venango County Homemakers Club and the Venango County Historical Society. Mrs. Eckel was an avid crafter and enjoyed creating handmade gifts for her family and friends. She was most proud of the accomplishments of her family and relished family gatherings to celebrate holidays, birthdays and other occasions. Surviving are her husband, Leo, also known as "Beaver" or "Tom." The couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last summer and a tree was planted in Franklin's West Park by their family in their honor. Also surviving are two sons and their wives, Thomas Dennison Eckel and his wife Doris, and John Dana Eckel and his wife Mary, all of Franklin; five grandchildren, Dana Marie Thomas and her husband Kevin of Allison Park, Melissa Kojancie and her husband Steve of Erie, Timothy Thomas Eckel and his wife Lauren of Nampa, Idaho, Emily Elizabeth Grazulis and her husband Joe of New Eagle and Petty Officer Andrew John Eckel (USCG) of Franklin; four great-grandchildren, Sarah Elizabeth and Emily Anne Thomas, Ava Mae Kojancie and William John Grazulis; a sister, Lucille McKittrick of Dunedin, Fla.; a half-sister, Rev. Patricia Dailey of Boston, Mass.; and three half-brothers, Edward McCool, Ronald McCool and Larry McCool, all of Bradford. Preceding her in death in addition to her parents were four sisters, Helen Clark, Ruth Harvey, Mary Elizabeth Strait and Viola Jenks; a half-sister, Betty Nufer; and a half-brother, Sgt. Leroy McCool. Friends may call from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday in the Gardinier Funeral Home Inc., 1315 Chestnut St., Franklin. A Christian wake service will be held at 4 p.m. Monday in the funeral home. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday in St. Patrick Church. Msgr. John J. Herbien will serve as celebrant. Interment will be in St. Patrick Cemetery. The family suggests memorials may be made to the St. Patrick Building Fund or St. Patrick School. Condolences may be sent online at www.gardinierfuneralhome.com.
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