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December 1, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 4, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the funeral home. Burial will follow at the Laurel Grove Memorial Park Cemetery in Totowa.
Bruce Eckrote, age 55 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer just five weeks ago and accepted his prognosis with courage. His family was gathered at his bedside when he passed.
Bruce was the financial controller at Genpro Transportation in East Rutherford for the past three years and had served in the same capacity at Whatman, Inc. in Clifton for many years before that. He was a true ‘numbers’ guy and accounting was fun for him. He relied on the ‘numbers’ when making his football picks each Thursday for the pool at work, and especially loved keeping all the statistics for the PAL baseball teams that he coached. At the end of the baseball season, he would give each of his PAL players a spreadsheet with their stat’s for the season.
Bruce was a big sports fan. He loved the Mets and the Giants, but you could find him rooting for the Yankees every now and then too. He was a huge Seinfeld fan – the whole family, in fact, and that speaks volumes about his sense of humor. Two years ago he satisfied a boy-hood dream of owning a Jeep. He bought a Wrangler and loved to drive it around, especially with the top down. Staying physically fit was important to Bruce and he kept himself in shape by working out in his home gym and running around Packanack Lake. Many of you have probably seen him running up Osborne Terrace, a feat that most people would choose to avoid any day, but he did it with joy and ease. He also loved to eat! Food and family meals were a focal point. They enjoyed eating out at various restaurants but Bruce had a special place in his heart, and stomach, for Lee’s Sushi on Route 23. He loved the food and the staff there.
Bruce grew up in Little Falls, graduating from Passaic Valley High School with the class of 1972. It was at PV, the regional high school, that he met Cindi Kailo from Totowa. Bruce invited Cindi to join his family one summer at their Ocean City, NJ home. Bruce loved the beach and was an excellent surfer. Cindi had a keen sense, right from the start, that Bruce would be a great husband. Of course, his blonde hair, blue eyes and beautiful sun tan probably played a part that summer, when they fell in love. They wed in 1976 and enjoyed thirty three years of a perfect and loving marriage together. They continued to vacation in Ocean City, bringing their children there every summer for many years.
Bruce is survived by his loving wife, Cindi (nee Kailo) of Wayne, four children; Susan and her boyfriend Mike Lueddeke, Marissa, Dan, and Michael Eckrote, all of Wayne, his dear mother; Jacqueline Eckrote of Little Falls, three brothers; Rob and his wife Sue of Little Falls, Richard and his wife Janet of Lincoln Park, and Tom of Clifton, his devoted in-laws; Norman and Marylin Kailo of Wayne, as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was predeceased by his father George Eckrote in 1994.
Bruce was a practical man and never understood why people would spend money for flowers at a funeral. Therefore, in his honor, the family requests that no flowers be sent for him. Rather, a fund has been established to help fund the college education of his youngest son, Michael. If friends so wish, donations to the Michael Eckrote Educational Fund, P.O. Box 3071, Wayne, NJ 07474-3071, would be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 4, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the funeral home. Burial will follow at the Laurel Grove Memorial Park Cemetery in Totowa.
December 1, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 4, 2009 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the funeral home. Burial will follow at the Laurel Grove Memorial Park Cemetery in Totowa.
Bruce Eckrote, age 55 of Wayne, died on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City. He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer just five weeks ago and accepted his prognosis with courage. His family was gathered at his bedside when he passed.
Bruce was the financial controller at Genpro Transportation in East Rutherford for the past three years and had served in the same capacity at Whatman, Inc. in Clifton for many years before that. He was a true ‘numbers’ guy and accounting was fun for him. He relied on the ‘numbers’ when making his football picks each Thursday for the pool at work, and especially loved keeping all the statistics for the PAL baseball teams that he coached. At the end of the baseball season, he would give each of his PAL players a spreadsheet with their stat’s for the season.
Bruce was a big sports fan. He loved the Mets and the Giants, but you could find him rooting for the Yankees every now and then too. He was a huge Seinfeld fan – the whole family, in fact, and that speaks volumes about his sense of humor. Two years ago he satisfied a boy-hood dream of owning a Jeep. He bought a Wrangler and loved to drive it around, especially with the top down. Staying physically fit was important to Bruce and he kept himself in shape by working out in his home gym and running around Packanack Lake. Many of you have probably seen him running up Osborne Terrace, a feat that most people would choose to avoid any day, but he did it with joy and ease. He also loved to eat! Food and family meals were a focal point. They enjoyed eating out at various restaurants but Bruce had a special place in his heart, and stomach, for Lee’s Sushi on Route 23. He loved the food and the staff there.
Bruce grew up in Little Falls, graduating from Passaic Valley High School with the class of 1972. It was at PV, the regional high school, that he met Cindi Kailo from Totowa. Bruce invited Cindi to join his family one summer at their Ocean City, NJ home. Bruce loved the beach and was an excellent surfer. Cindi had a keen sense, right from the start, that Bruce would be a great husband. Of course, his blonde hair, blue eyes and beautiful sun tan probably played a part that summer, when they fell in love. They wed in 1976 and enjoyed thirty three years of a perfect and loving marriage together. They continued to vacation in Ocean City, bringing their children there every summer for many years.
Bruce is survived by his loving wife, Cindi (nee Kailo) of Wayne, four children; Susan and her boyfriend Mike Lueddeke, Marissa, Dan, and Michael Eckrote, all of Wayne, his dear mother; Jacqueline Eckrote of Little Falls, three brothers; Rob and his wife Sue of Little Falls, Richard and his wife Janet of Lincoln Park, and Tom of Clifton, his devoted in-laws; Norman and Marylin Kailo of Wayne, as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. He was predeceased by his father George Eckrote in 1994.
Bruce was a practical man and never understood why people would spend money for flowers at a funeral. Therefore, in his honor, the family requests that no flowers be sent for him. Rather, a fund has been established to help fund the college education of his youngest son, Michael. If friends so wish, donations to the Michael Eckrote Educational Fund, P.O. Box 3071, Wayne, NJ 07474-3071, would be greatly appreciated.
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