Gary James Echternacht

Gary James Echternacht, 80, died peacefully on May 27, 2025. He was born to Jim and Sylvia Echternacht in Des Moines, Iowa.
Gary received his Ph.D. in Statistics from Iowa State University in Ames at age 24. He was employed by Educational Testing Service for over 30 years, often riding his bike to work in all-weather seasons so his children could have use of the family car. He authored numerous research articles on testing practices and later in his career did private consulting.
Gary had a wide range of interests including math games and puzzles, film noir, westerns, cooking, sports commentary and stand-up comedians. Gary viewed life with good natured, gentle humor, often seeing the slightly ridiculous side to everyday life.
Famous for his intensely disciplined free-weight workouts in the family garage throughout his life and well into his 70's, Gary was a competitive weightlifter, winning Weightlifting Nationals in 1974. He went on to compete at high levels in bike racing, marathon running and in his later years became an accomplished dancer at Princeton Ballet. He also coached his son Aaron and grandson Blake in weightlifting. He loved discussing the strategy or statistics of any sport from football to indy car racing.
Gary is survived by his wife Phyllis and his two amazing children Heidi, and Aaron (Megan) Echternacht. His cherished grandchildren, Ava and Blake Echternacht were a constant source of pride. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Mary Echternacht and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Richard.
Visitation is at Blackwell Memorial Home in Pennington, NJ on Sunday, June 1 from 1-3PM. The family requests instead of flowers, you plant a tree or just hug your loved ones.