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Lawrence Carl Ecklund passed away on Oct. 29, 2024 at Valley View Haven. He has been a member of the Valley View Community since 2007.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Elmira (McNeel) Ecklund, by his son, David, his grandson, Ezra, and his great granddaughter, Riley Kim.
He is survived by his wife, Jean; two sisters, Gladys and Dorothy; his children: Mark (Tasha), Suzanne, Lana, and Judy; his grandchildren: David, Jonathan, Jennifer, Natika, Ianniq, Elmira, Randy and Samantha; and his great grandchildren: Annabelle, Logan, Finley, Tallon, Wyatt, Josie, Ezra, Idris, Mina, Emily, Lillian and Elliot.
Larry was born on March 19, 1932 on his family farm near Irvona and spent his youth farming alongside his parents. He graduated from Madera High School in 1950, then attended Penn State University where he graduated in 1954 with a BS in Agronomy.
In 1955 Larry was drafted into the US Army. He was an SP2, trained in Germany to be a radar and computer fire control repairman. Most of his time in the service was spent in England. Upon his return to the states, he worked for a few years as an assistant county agent in Columbia and Clarion counties where he was involved mostly with 4H programs.
Later while working as an account supervisor and copywriter for an agricultural advertising agency in Butler, he met his wife Jean, who was a nursing student in Butler at the time. They married in 1959 and returned to the family farm, where Larry established a herd of registered and grade Holstein dairy cattle.
Larry retired from the dairy business in 1988. He then worked as a field supervisor for Environment Gro and Bio Gro, two waste management firms, in an effort to reclaim distressed coal stripped areas using conservation and erosion control practices.
In 1993 Larry and Jean joined the Peace Corps and served for three years in the countries of Senegal, West Africa and Lesotho, Southern Africa as agricultural volunteers. The Peace Corps experience impacted their lives in many ways.
After the Peace Corps, Larry and Jean worked for several years at Hampshire Country School, a private school for boys in Rindge, NH. They then purchased a retirement home near Tioga where they lived until moving to the Valley View Community.
Larry was a world traveler. He was a life-long learner with many interests and hobbies. He was a carpenter, a stone mason and a skilled woodworker. Larry built his own house and also built a post and beam barn building. He created many beautiful wood projects including bowls and furniture for family and friends. He enjoyed doing scientific and electronic experiments and had a special interest in photography. That included developing photos in his own darkroom, doing pinhole photography and building pinhole cameras. In his eighties, he learned to fly a drone and he became proficient at drone photography.
Larry was a life-long member of the Presbyterian church. He was an ordained Elder and Deacon and had membership in four Huntingdon Presbytery Presbyterian congregations over the years. He served as a long-term Presbyterian mission volunteer at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska and as a short-term mission volunteer at locations in the United States, Honduras and Nicaragua. He belonged to the West Kish Presbyterian Church in Belleville and also enjoyed attending Sunday School at Maple Grove Mennonite Church.
Larry was a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in various places throughout his life. He participated in Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy Carter Work Projects in Kentucky, Georgia, Mexico, India and Vietnam.
He also enjoyed volunteering here at Valley View, especially riding on the garbage truck with his friends.
Larry was extremely proud of his family. A private event will be held at a later date for the family to share their memories of him. There will be no public service, per his request, Larry's remains will be donated to Humanity Gifts Registry.
We are very appreciative of the love and care that Larry has received at Valley View.
Memorial Gifts can be given to Valley View Retirement Community Endowment Fund, 4702 East Main Street, Belleville, PA 17004 or to Habitat for Humanity International, GIFT FROM THE HEART 1-800-HABITAT.
Arrangements are under the care of Henderson Funeral Home, Belleville. Online condolences can be made to www.hendersonfuneralhomes.net.