Daniel Willard Eckman

The Rev. Daniel Willard Eckman Jr., son of Daniel Willard Eckman Sr. and Ada Viola Jones Eckman, entered into glory on February 28th, 2015. His Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 pm in Grace Episcopal Church, 98 Wentworth Street on Thursday, March 5, 2015. Interment will be at a later date at St. Martin's-in-the-Field Episcopal Churchyard in Severna Park, MD. The family will greet friends from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at the J. HENRY STUHR, INC. MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road.

Daniel was born in Baltimore in May of 1946, lived in Charm City, then moved to Catonsville, MD where he grew up. Danny, as he was known to friends and family, and baseball became synonymous. As a pitcher he once struck out Reggie Mr. October Jackson in a high school Summer League Baseball game. As a major league prospect he played in the 19th annual Hearst HS All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. But, baseball was not what God intended for his Ace." At The University of Maryland he met Barbara and fell in love. They were married May 28th 1970 and shared 44 years of love, laughter and service. At Maryland Dan also discerned a calling to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church. Under the guidance of retired Bishop of Maryland Rev. Charles E. Longest, his calling was affirmed and he enrolled at Virginia Theological Seminary where he graduated in 1971.

His 42 year ministry included serving as Associate Rector at St. John's Glyndon (Glyndon, MD), Rector at St. John's Mt. Washington (Baltimore, MD), St. Martins-In-the-Field (Severna Park, MD), Emmanuel Episcopal (Alexandria, VA), Vicar at St. Philips (Greenville, SC), and most recently as the Priest-in-Charge of The East Cooper Episcopal Church (Mt. Pleasant, SC).

In God's service Dan touched a countless number of lives through baptizing children, blessing marriages, mentoring seminarians, and serving the sick, the dying, and the lost. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Millicent Salmon, and is survived by his wife, Barbara; his children Joshua Eckman of Berea, KY, Lila Balentine (Carter) of Simpsonville, SC and Benjamin Eckman (Meredith) of Burke, VA; and his five grandchildren Jacob, Braeden, Bailey, Bethany and Isabel. Additionally he is survived by his step-mother Dolores Eckman and numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law as well as nieces and nephews in the Reese, Eckman and Salmon families.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, P.O. Box 20485, Charleston, SC 29413.