Calvert F. Eck
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death of former employee Calvert F. Eck on September 28 in Boston after a long illness. He was 81.
Calvert was born on September 20, 1938 in Pittsfield, MA, to Ethel Ruth Decker of Pittsfield and Frank Edmund Eck of New York City. He grew up in Pittsfield, attended the local Methodist Church, and belonged to two youth square-dancing groups during middle and high school. Cal was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in 1960 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.
Cal began his career at WHOI in 1990 as a research engineer in AOP&E. While at WHOI, he designed instruments and wrote programs for scientists to study global warming. He accompanied scientists on their research vessels to the Arctic, Antarctica, the Netherlands, Scotland, Alaska, Cape Verde, and Brazil. In 2008, Cal went to casual status and retired in 2012.
After his retirement from WHOI, Cal attended the West Parish United Church of Christ where he loved to sing out his favorite hymns each Sunday.
Cal was an amateur ham radio operator (W1CRK) since 1954 and continued this hobby until early August 2019. He was a long-time member of the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association.
He is survived by his loving wife, Joy Indomenico of Marstons Mills; three children: Kristen Eck of Beverly, MA, and Lauren and Joshua Eck of Abington, MA; one cousin, Alice Eck of North Providence, Rl; a nephew, David Grigsby of Los Gatos, CA; nieces, Sharon Wormhoudt of Loma Mar, CA, Sue Grigsby of Lake Stevens, WA, and Gloria Adams, of Los Altos, CA.
Cal was preceded in death by his sister, Virginia Ruth Grigsby of Los Altos, CA, and his first wife, Carolyn Anderson of Worcester, MA.
The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the doctors and nurses from CCHC and Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Dana Farber Cancer Institute researchers; Maryanne O’Connell, his favorite HHA; the VNA of Cape Cod for after-hospitalization care; John-Lawrence Funeral Home; to their church family of West Parish UCC, West Barnstable; and to all their family and friends who have extended a helping hand along the way. Many thanks.
A memorial service will be held at West Parish UCC, 2049 Meetinghouse Way, West Barnstable, MA, on Saturday, November 9, at 11 a.m., with Rev. Reed Baer officiating. Interment at the West Parish burial ground, on site, will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association, P.O. Box 815, W. Falmouth, MA, 02574.
Information for this obituary is from the John Lawrence Funeral Home Website.