Todd Bryan Eckhart

Todd Bryan Eckhart peacefully passed into glory to be with Jesus Christ, his Lord and friend, on Monday, October 13, 2025, after a brief battle with cancer. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife and kids in his passing.
Born on February 14, 1954 in York, PA to the late Vera (Eisensmith) Eckhart and Donald Eckhart, Todd was the loving husband of Jody (Nester) Eckhart for over 43 years. He loved his children and was a devoted father to Josiah Eckhart (wife Barbara) of York and Alyssa Eckhart of Lancaster. Todd also delighted in his two young grandchildren. He was a caring brother and is still survived by his sisters Tina (Eckhart) Mewhinney of Texas, Lisa Eckhart of California and Dede (Eckhart) Goldman of Virginia.
Since childhood, Todd always loved music and playing many instruments as his mother Vera sacrificed greatly to support Todd and his sisters' passions. Usually, you would find him playing guitar or piano. He loved classic rock with influences like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Mike Daisy and Ron Perry. It brought him joy to express himself through music and he loved to share it with others. At the age of 16, Todd started teaching the basics of playing instruments and the elements of music to many young students. His passion only grew stronger as he advanced in his years of continuing to pursue a lifestyle of creating his own music. Todd was briefly part of a band that recorded in Tennessee which opened his eyes to the excitement and skill of writing music before finally forming his own band in PA. It was at this time, in the late 1970's, he gave his life to Jesus after encountering his holy presence. From then on, his zeal for music transformed into a zeal to glorify Jesus through music and sharing the gospel everywhere he went.
He led many people to Christ, including friends and family members. He was known for sharing scripture and truth, when it needed to be said. Todd began leading worship for different churches in the area and discovered his joy for writing songs from scripture. After 4 years of being a follower of Jesus, he met his wife Jody at a Bible study at First Church of God. They quickly were married and began leading worship together while also beginning to release songs together in their band. They had wonderful band members who came and went throughout the years, each one important for that season. Todd enjoyed joking around with friends and family. He cared for people and always wanted to help others. When he became a father to his son and daughter, he was devoted in raising them to know Jesus. He was also excited to share his love of music with them throughout their lives. He loved worshipping with his wife and kids whether at church or at home. As Todd continued serving the Lord, he felt called to become a pastor. Todd and his family became part of a few churches in the area over many years. With Todd being on staff as the worship pastor, he loved building up worship teams, teaching the meaning of worship, and the skill of playing as a team. He taught from every angle of music: the live mix, the instruments, and the songs.
He encouraged many young and old to seek Jesus wholeheartedly and to know the purpose he has for their lives. Todd was a spiritual father to many youth. He was a teacher at heart and taught many students about music even until the end when he was struggling with pain. For Todd, California always held a special place in his heart. God called Todd and Jody out to California in 2019 for a year where he faced the past of his childhood. What he didn't know is he was actually on a journey of healing that continued on for the next few years. After living out one of his dreams of touring the west coast, Todd and Jody came back to PA to reunite with family and spend time with their grandkids. God reconciled Todd with his family and others through His redeeming power and mercy. Right up until the end of his life, Todd's true healing was brought to completion through forgiveness. He will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.
In one of his last interactions with Jody he declared, "I will go out fighting the good fight of faith." Truly, he did until the very last breath. Todd's legacy of great faith in Jesus will live on through the lives of his children and grandchildren, and even his songs.
To remember Todd, you can find his music on Spotify/YouTube under Todd Eckhart or Todd Eckhart Band. His albums are "Rhythm of Your Heart," "The Key," and "Breakthrough Deliverance."
The Celebration of Life Service honoring Todd will be held on November 8, 2025 at Hanover First Church of God, 600 Fairview Dr., Hanover, PA 17331. 10:00am is the time of greeting with the family and reminisce about Todd's life. 11:00am is the service followed by a luncheon. We would love for you to join us in remembering who he was and his life's journey.
Beck Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Inc., of East York is entrusted with arrangements.