Plan for the Future
Eugene J. Eckel died on November 15, 2016 in New Providence, NJ. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Darlene (nee Laux), son Thomas (Jane) Eckel and daughter Lynn (James) O’Neill, grandchildren Jason (Sarah) Eckel and Jennifer (Ralph) Hodges, and greatgrandchildren Rylan and Callie Jae Eckel and Braxten and Kane Hodges.
Mr. Eckel became an Eagle Scout, remained a lifetime supporter of the Boy Scouts, and was elected to the Path’s Council Hall of Fame in 2009. He was a Navy pilot in WWII from 1943-1945, assigned to the Pacific theater.
In 1951 he obtained a Mechanical Engineering degree, followed by a Master’s Degree in Production Management in 1956, both from Stevens Institute of Technology. In 1961 he finished his formal education with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Management from MIT as part of their Sloan Fellowship program. From 1988 to 2003 he was a member of the Board of Trustees of Stevens, was cited with the Stevens Honor Award for 1985, and was Alumnus of the Year on 2004.
He began a distinguished career with Western Electric as an equipment installer in 1942. He re-joined Western Electric as Assistant Engineer at the Kearney Works in 1951 and retired in 1989 as President and CEO of AT&T Network Systems International, headquartered in The Netherlands.
There will be a memorial gathering on Friday, November 18, 2016 from 4-6pm at the Bradley Brough & Dangler Funeral Home, 299 Morris Ave., Summit. A private funeral and interment will be held at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to the Class of 1951 Endowed Scholarship at Stevens Institute of Technology, 1 Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030 or online at https://connect.stevens.edu/makeagift.
To send condolences to the family, visit www.www.bradleyfuneralhomes.com