Richard Eckels

Richard "Dick" Eckels
Arcadia, MI
09/08/1940 - 10/23/2025
Richard Walter Eckels died in the predawn hours of October 23, 2025.
Born on September 8, 1940, in Arcadia, Michigan, Richard was the fourth child of Olan and Nora (Kelsey) Eckels. Known fondly as "Dick", he grew up in Arcadia, attended Arcadia School, and remained in the town he loved for his entire life.
In 1962, he married Marilyn Reed, and together they raised two children, Mark and Melanie.
A talented carpenter by trade, he was well known throughout the community for his craftsmanship, whether building new homes in his younger years or working alongside his friend Rick Jones on remodeling projects after retirement.
Dick was an avid outdoorsman and especially loved deer hunting season into his early 80s, when he hung up his bow, put away his guns, and gave his hunting gear and self-built shanty to his "honorary" granddaughter, Heather Atkinson, to carry on his love of hunting in his favorite hunting spot. Although his health kept him from having a dog of his own in later years, Dick "adopted" Asher, Melaine's little Chiweenie, who brought him joy with every visit.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Olan and Nora; his siblings, Robert, Katherine, Margaret, Sandra, Wayne, and Dorothy; as well as his second wife, Margaret Lako Eckels.
He is survived by his children, Mark Eckels and Melanie (Mike) Cederholm; his grandchildren, of whom he loved so much and was so proud of, Richard Cederholm, Corey Eckels, Ryan Cederholm, and Amira Eckels; and his only great-grandchild, Daxton Cederholm. Dick is also survived by his "Bonus Daughter" (lifelong friend to daughter Melanie), Nancy Messer Snider, who was very dear to him.
While raising his family, Dick fished, hunted, snowmobiled, and continued to be an all-around outdoorsman. He even remodeled a few campers and camped with his family all over Northern Michigan and the U.P.
In later years, Dick spent several winters in Florida with his lifelong friend, Emilia Rennie, traveled to Tennessee to see his Cederholm grandchildren, and visited Arizona to see his son, Mark, and his family.
His other hobbies kept him close to home. Dick was a 40-year member of the Arcadia Lions Club. He helped with many projects throughout his time of service. He was chairman of the Arcadia Daze Saturday Pancake Breakfast crew for 20+ years, he religiously helped with completing setup and tear down, as well as serving throughout the entire Arcadia Daze weekend, until his health prevented it. He helped for many years hauling, installing, and removing the telescopes at Inspiration Point on the top of the North Hill, and he was the primary builder of the Grebe Park pavilion. He found an outlet by being a member of the "Table of Truth" and later "Thirsty Thursday" crews and spent time solving the world's problems with friends and fellow Arcadians.
Special thanks to Kelly, Steve, and the girls at Frankfort Senior Care for taking such wonderful care of Dad, and to his special Frankfort Fire friends of the weekend breakfast crew for making his final year special; he adored you all!
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Arcadia Lions Club where he served half his life, or to the "Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department" where his beloved son-in-law, Michael Cederholm, is Fire Chief, and his fire friends treated him as one of their own.
A celebration of Dick's life will be held a 2 p.m., Saturday, November 8, at the Arcadia Community Center, with a luncheon immediately following. Arrangements by Jowett Family Funeral Home, Benzonia.