John Keith Eckerd Sr.

LOUDON, TENNESSEE
At the age of 73, John Keith Eckerd Sr. passed away on Friday, April 17th, 2015 near his retirement home in Loudon, Tennessee.
From 1970 to 2011, he was proud to have his home in Greene and Washington counties, Pennsylvania where he and his wife raised their children.
Among family and friends, John was most well-known for his love of history, which he expressed through genealogical research, trips to historic sites, and his forty-four years as Captain of Knap’s Battery, the Civil War memorial group he founded in 1971.
His passion to preserve the history of the American Civil War helped to ignite a resurgence of interest in the subject among his fellow enthusiasts.
Though John retired from command, Knap’s Battery persists to this day, and is still active in events across the United States.
John’s sense of industry and management allowed him great success in his 33-years as an Engineer in the mining industry.
For more than three decades, John worked and consulted with United States Steel and Alpha Natural Resources for the construction and the operation of the Cumberland Mine in Kirby, Pennsylvania.
He retired at the age of 68.
He will be fondly remembered for his proactive attitude.
‘Sometimes,’ he told his grandchildren at their last meeting ‘You just have to put your head down and go into the wind.’
John Eckerd was the son of Charles Eckerd and Hilda Brown Eckerd from Polo, Illinois.
He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Cecilia ‘Nicky’ (Fuci); sons: John Jr. and Jim; daughter, Diana; seven grandchildren: Diana’s children Michael and Mikayla, John Jr.’s children John III, Kendall, Jackson, and the soon-to-arrive Ava, and Jim’s children Jordan and Elizabeth.
A Memorial Service, as tribute to a life well lived, will be held at 11:00 a.m. SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015 at the GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 918 Rolling Meadows Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370.
The family suggests donations in John Keith Eckerd Sr.’s name to the St. Jude’s Childrens Research Center, 105 Braunlich Drive, Suite 420, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 (412.695.8400).
CLICK FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATIONS TELLICO VILLAGE CHAPEL, 145 Chota Center, Loudon, TN 37774 Telephone: 865-458-6767