James Leroy Eckart was born January 24, 1944 in Deadwood, SD. James was the fourth of five children of Irene Isobel Eckart and Joseph Charles Eckart. James spent his youth in the Black Hills of South Dakota. As a child he shined shoes in front of Bullock Hotel in Deadwood, and also lived in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, SD. James loved the Black Hills and Badlands and enjoyed his horses in a more simple time.
James’ father was a construction worker and the family would often be uprooted following work. When James was in his mid-teens, his father’s work brought the family to California. James attended high school in Tracy, California and joined the United States Army upon graduation. He was stationed in West Germany at The Berlin Wall. While in Berlin, James honed welding and tank and Jeep repairs skills.
Upon his honorable discharge from the Army, James returned to California to be with the rest of his family who had settled in and made the state their home. He worked for many years at Alma Engineering in Palo Alto, California where he worked on creating one of the world’s first commercial microwave oven. He also met his first wife, Marta at work and moved to San Jose, California and started to raise a family.
James’ heart always resided in South Dakota and the family soon pulled up stakes in California and moved back to South Dakota where he was able to have his horses and the simpler life again. Jim’s mechanical and welding skills kept him in high demand as an honest integral worker. After he retired from Vaske Welding, he moved to Sioux Falls after meeting Gloria Kline, and they were married on May 1, 2010.
Soon after Gloria’s death, James was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, and ended his struggle, passing peacefully at the age of 77, on Sunday, December 5, 2021 at Avantara Lake Norden Memory Care.
He is survived by his two children, Brian and Jeanie; two brothers, Dennis and Michael; and 9 grandchildren, Dylan, Madelyn, Jensen, Alexis, Aiden, Owen, Hudson, Grayson and Lincoln.
James was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Irene, sister Mary Jolyana McMaster, brother Joseph Gerald Eckart, and 3 grandchildren.
At James' request, there will be no services.
The family prefers memorials be given in memory of James Eckart to the Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital, Attn: Voluntary Services, 2501 W. 22nd St., Sioux Falls, SD 57105.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.