Robert Evans "Bob" Eckstein

1929 - 2021

Robert "Bob" Evans Eckstein

died on February 18, 2021, having lived a long life blessed with many friends. Throughout his life he resided in Stark County, Ohio, and knew all of its backroads. Bob was born, the youngest of three children, on February 18, 1929, exactly 92 years ago, to Zua (Evans) and Charles Eckstein. He grew up on St. Elmo Avenue in Canton and graduated from McKinley High School. In both places he made many friends, some of whom he knew throughout his life. Bob married Betty Jo Triner in 1949, a bond they shared for over 50 years until Betty's death in 2002. For most of his working life, he was employed by Republic Steel. He was proud of the work he did there as a machinist, a turn foreman, a general foreman in the forge shop, and in management at South Division. He spoke often and vividly about the people he knew and experiences he had at Republic. He also enjoyed all the decades he spent lifting weights, mostly at the Canton and North Canton YMCA's. He took special pleasure in helping others get the most out of their weightlifting. When he retired from Republic, he and Betty created a horse boarding stable on a few acres and designed a house that looked out on horse pastures in every direction. Whether with his grandsons, local high school students, or his Amish neighbors, he enjoyed the work on the farm. With boarders and the "horse club" (the Stark County chapter of Ohio Horseman's Council), he had a lot of fun riding trails on his horses Manawaki and JR and maintaining trails at Quail Hollow State Park. Several falls didn't diminish his enthusiasm for horses any more than car accidents in his younger days had diminished his enthusiasm for fast cars.

After Betty died, he became reacquainted with his high school classmate Cathy Johanning and became friends with her family. Bob and Cathy maintained a close relationship until her death. Recently he was pleased to be received as a member of Zion United Church of Christ in North Canton.

In addition to Betty and his parents, Bob was predeceased by his brother, Charles (Marie); his sisters, Mary Jane (Louis) Dauterman, Cathy Johanning; his brother-in-law, Bill Triner; and many friends. He is survived by his daughters, Jean Sawyer (Tom) of Moscow, Idaho, and Barbara Eckstein (Jim Throgmorton) of Iowa City, Iowa; his grandchildren Rob (Pam) and Eric (Julie) Sawyer and Zoë Eckstein; as well as his great grandchildren, Jordyn, Corinne, Lillian, Nathan, Hank, and Maggie Sawyer; his nephews and niece; Triner in-laws; and friends, young and old. There were very few days in Bob's life when he was not accompanied by a beloved dog. He outlived many of them and is survived by Bosco.

Bob's daughters want to thank Jim Triner, Gary Johanning, John Ross, the staff of Helping Hands, the staff at Country Lawn Navarre, and other friends of Bob for the care and assistance they provided him late in his life. They enabled him to have the life he wanted for as long as was possible.

A memorial service will occur after the pandemic has subsided. For now, Bob would want friends and family to remember him with a sandwich and a beer and a football game too, if that's your thing, or a quiet rest on the back porch glider, if it's not. Those wishing to make a donation in his honor could do so in support of one of the causes that he valued: The American Indian College Fund; Orphan Acres horse sanctuary in Viola, Idaho; the Humane Society of the United States; or Semper Fi and America's Fund, an organization in support of US veterans. At a later date, Bob and Betty's ashes will be buried together at Forest Hill Cemetery in Canton near other family members. For those wishing to send condolences please visit www.reedfuneralhome.com to sign the online guestbook.

Reed, 330-477-6721