Robert Dean Eckelman

P
astor Robert Dean Eckelman, 91, of Brighton, Colorado, went home to be with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord on October 13, 2025. Born in 1933 in Lincoln, Kansas, Bob was the son of the late Ray and Ruth Eckelman of Sylvan Grove, Kansas.
Pastor Bob dedicated his life to serving God and his community as a beloved pastor for over 50 years. He was known for his unwavering faith, compassionate heart, and sermons true to the word of God that touched countless lives. He graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1958 and then married Joan Marie Jensen in 1959. He faithfully served congregations in Iowa; Sheridan, Jackson, and Gillette, Wyoming; and retired in Great Falls, Montana after 9 years of service there. Serving Christ and His Church in Wyoming, Pastor Bob drove many miles, filling vacancies throughout the area. He was involved in the formation of the Wyoming district of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and establishing Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Wyoming.
Pastor Bob moved to Brighton, Colorado in 1996. For a year, he took a break (working of course) and hauled silage and mowed sod for a year. He then returned to his original calling, working part time as Minister of Pastoral Care in Zion Lutheran Church and School from 1997 through 2007. Pastor Bob thoroughly enjoyed serving his community. His pastoral leadership and friendship was well known to all whom he served.
In addition to his pastoral work, Chaplain Bob also dedicated many years to chaplaincy service serving as a contact chaplain in the Veterans Hospital in Sheridan, Wyoming in 1970. Following that, he joined the Civil Air Patrol as a Chaplain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1977 and continued in that role in Gillette, Wyoming, and in Great Falls, Montana, until 1996. While serving as a Chaplain with the Civil Air Patrol and attending several training schools provided by the Civil Air Patrol, Chaplain Eckelman received the rank of Lt. Col. in 1995. He was serving as a Pastor in Lutheran congregations in those cities at the same time. He then moved to Brighton, Colorado in 1996 and began serving as a Victim Advocate with the Brighton Police Department in 1997. He continued in that position until he became Brighton PD Chaplain serving all who served in the Brighton police force until 2023.
Beyond his pastoral and chaplain duties, Bob was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He cherished time spent with his family. He also enjoyed being near the Rocky Mountains where he explored, hiked, fished, hunted, and biked.
Bob is survived by his daughter Damaris (Tony) Gasparovich of Hudson, Colorado, and son Matthew (Natalie) Eckelman of Loveland, Colorado; and his grandchildren, Robert (Megan), Collin (Lauren), Steven (Kelsey), and Briana; and great-grandchildren Dakota, Maxwell, and Kirsten. He was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his sister Joann, and brother Larry.
A celebration of Pastor Bob's life will be held on October 22, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Zion Lutheran Church, 1400 Skeel Street, Brighton, CO 80601. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Bob's memory to Zion Lutheran Church in Brighton, Colorado. He will be deeply missed but forever remembered for his profound impact on so many.
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