RICHARD EKLUND

1936 - 2025

Richard Carl Eklund, 89, of Lodi, CA, passed away peacefully on August 19, surrounded by his three children. A beloved father, grandfather, and brother, he will be remembered for his brilliant engineering mind, his quiet wisdom, and the encouragement and love he shared with his family.
Born May 19, 1936, in Fremont, NE, to Carl and Mildred Eklund, Richard grew up building model airplanes, tinkering with cars and electronics-a passion that became his life's work. After graduating from Fremont High School, he earned degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Nebraska in 1959, where he also completed Army ROTC and obtained his pilot's license. He went on to serve proudly as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Security Agency in Berlin from 1960 to 1962.
After his military service, Richard worked as a contractor with the Air Force on classified projects in Turkey, where he met Lani while she was teaching at the base. Soon after, they eloped to Beirut and were together for 57 years.
Richard's love of flight shaped a distinguished career in aeronautics. Returning to the US, he designed aircraft at Piper, then later led research at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory on unmanned aircraft and aerodynamics. His inventive work earned him recognition as co-inventor on a U.S. patent for an aerodynamic decoy system.
An active hobbyist and do-it-yourselfer, Richard shared those interests with his sons, building models, flying remote control airplanes, tinkering with personal computers, and repairing cars. He built many of the family's appliances from Heathkit kits and instilled in his children an appreciation for repair, conservation, and understanding how things work. Maintaining his pilot's license into his later years, he completed building his own Thorp T-18, flying it recreationally and to many EAA events.
After nearly 35 years as a professional engineer, Richard and his wife Lani retired and moved from Virginia with their daughter, Kerri, to lovingly restore the historic Lockeford, California, homestead of his mentor, renowned aeronautical engineer John Thorp. Together, they welcomed guests at The Inn at Locke House, a well-loved and nationally recognized bed and breakfast, from 1998 to 2018. Committed to supporting humanitarian efforts locally, Richard was an active Rotarian for over 20 years with the Lodi Rotary Club.
Richard was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Larnice ("Lani") Eklund. He is survived by his children: Chris Eklund (and his wife, Suzie), Kendt Eklund, and Kerri Eklund; his grandsons, Ryan and Owen Eklund; and his sister, Carol Telford (and her husband, Marty) and his niece, Taylor Telford. His spirit remains a gentle presence in the lives he touched.
A public graveside service will be held at Memorial Cemetery (http://fremontmemorialcemetery.com/) in Fremont on September 13 from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. (https://give.michaeljfox.org/give/421686/#!/donation/checkout)