Joseph Francis Eckert

Joseph Eckert, age 83, of Mankato, died Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at Hillcrest Health Care Center, Mankato.

Mass of Christian Burial 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 14, 2018 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Mankato.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at church. Interment will be at St. Willibrords’s Cemetery, Gibbon, MN.  Mankato Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Options for Women of Mankato, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, or the donor’s choice.

Joseph Eckert, the youngest of four children, was born on March 14, 1935 to George and Belinda Eckert and grew up in Gibbon, Minnesota. As a teenager, he achieved Eagle Scout, was an all-state running back. He attended the College of St. Thomas where he graduated with honors in three years. He met and married Elaine Ann Marie Rose (Keranen), from Ironwood, Michigan, a graduate of the College of St. Catherine, had 6 children (five surviving) and was happily married for 60 years! He attended the University of Minnesota Medical School, graduating in 1960. He joined the US Air Force, achieving the rank of Major. He was stationed at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, four years at Andrew Air Force Base in Washington, D.C. and was deployed to Libya. While in the service, Joseph was appointed the Chief of Radiology, taught at the renowned Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and was proud of being a flight surgeon. In 1968, Joseph moved to Mankato, and enjoyed practicing radiology for 25 years where he loved helping patients, making life-time friends and being counted on for his well-sought opinions in radiology. He was instrumental in establishing the Andreas Cancer Center with the first linear accelerator that allowed radiation treatments in Mankato. As a result, he was elected a Fellow of the American Radiology Society by his peers and served as the President of the Minnesota Radiology Society. Civically, he was active as the mayor of Skyline, restoring the Carnegie Library and Jefferson House. He founded the Mankato Women’s Center for crisis pregnancies making ultrasound available to at-risk mothers across southern Minnesota and being awarded for his pro-life leadership by the Knights of Columbus in 2017. At home, he enjoyed being involved with his children and 18 grandchildren, enjoying their activities and being everyone’s biggest fan. He was always in pursuit of self-improvement, reading and learning, He enjoyed traveling with his family. He loved taking walks with his black Labrador, Ashley. He spent many days visiting with his brothers on the farm in Gibbon, hunting with his sons in South Dakota or boating and snowmobiling at Lake Washington.

Joseph is survived by his wife, Elaine of Mankato; his five children: Patti (Rich) Esposito of Phoenix, Sue (Peter) Diego of Omaha, Joseph (Lisa) Eckert of Sioux Falls, Tim (Colleen) Eckert of Mankato, Gregory (Molly) Eckert of Omaha; 18 grandchildren and three great grandchildren; and his sister, Mary Ludowese; and extended family.

Joseph was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, William and George; as well as his own infant child, Joseph Charles Eckert.