Paid Notice: Robert Joseph Ecker was born March 2, 1927 in Sheppton-Oneida, Pennsylvania, the son of Catherine Fallon and John Jacob Ecker. The family which included older brother John (Jack) and younger brother Edward, spent their summers on the eastern tip of Long Island in Montauk, New York.
In the mid-30’s the Ecker family moved to Montauk permanently to join Mrs. Ecker’s sister, Anna Fallon, to assist in the operation of Trail’s End restaurant on Navy Beach. A month after arriving in Montauk, Mr. Ecker was killed in an unfortunate accident while tree cutting. The sudden and shocking loss made Mrs. Ecker consider returning her family back to Sheppton, where the family had left to avoid their sons from entering into dangerous occupations in the coal mining industry, the main source of employment in the area. Instead Mrs. Ecker opted to stay in in the seaside town of Montauk and raise her three sons with her sister, Anna. Father Ecker’s extremely close relationship with the two women throughout their entire lives was a source of strength and inspiration for him always. They lived on Fort Pond Bay in the original fishing village on Navy Road beside the restaurant, until the 1938 hurricane destroyed the area and forced families and businesses to relocate inland to where the Montauk village stands today.
Father Bob, as he was affectionately known, was the last surviving member of the group of children who were raised in the original fishing village in Montauk. Father attended elementary school at Montauk Public School. In 1944 , he was enrolled in St. Charles Seminary Prep in Catonsville, Maryland, and in 1947 acquired his bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and College in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York, where he graduated with a degree in Theology in 1951. Father Ecker was ordained a priest on June 9, 1951 by Bishop Thomas Molloy at Cathedral of St. James in Brooklyn, New York. To this present day, Monsignor Ecker remains the only ordained priest from his home parish of St. Therese of Lisieux in Montauk, New York. From 1951-1962, he was posted as the Assistant Pastor of Our Lady of Angels (Brooklyn) and Our Lady of Lourdes (Queens).
In 1962 through the intercession of Bishop Boardman of Brooklyn, Father Ecker was released from the Diocese and was permitted to join the U.S. Navy. He was inducted into the US Navy Chaplain Corps, graduating as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) from Navy Chaplain’s School in Newport, Rhode Island in October of 1962. In January of 1963, Father reported for duty at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Whiting Field in Milton, Florida where his ministry supported naval aviators. Lieutenant Ecker was transferred to Navy Communications Station, Nea Makri, Greece in October 1963, where he performed the duties of site Chaplain.
In November 1965, Lieutenant Ecker reported to the Chaplain’s staff of the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force ATLANTIC, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was transferred in October 1967 to Quarters “K” Navy Annex 0f the District of Washington, providing support for Navy Personnel Organization and Arlington Cemetery, and delivering pastoral care for service members and their families within the nation’s capital region.
From July 1969 to September 1970, Lieutenant Commander Ecker served with the 3rd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force PACIFIC, in Vietnam. During the tour, he was often assigned to the 12th Marine Regiment (Artillery) which was conducting vital support for U.S. forces operating near the Demilitarized Zone. His was with the last Marine unit in the 3rd Marine Division to leave the DMZ. They withdrew to Okinawa and then were sent to Mt, Fuji, Japan. He then reported to Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida in September 1970, ministering to the technical students and new recruits. In February of 1971, Lieutenant Commander Ecker received orders to Chaplain’s Office of the U.S. Navy Academy in Annapolis, Maryland serving the brigade of midshipmen.
Commander Ecker was selected to attend Fordham University from September 1974 to July 1975 for post-graduate studies, where he completed a master’s degree in Theology. In August 1975, Commander Ecker assumed the duties of Command Chaplain of USS AMERICA (CV-66) homeported in Norfolk, Virginia. While on AMERICA, Commander Ecker completed two major overseas deployments in the north and south Atlantic, and the Mediterranean Sea. He then reported to the staff of Chief of Naval Operations in Washington, DC in August 1977. From June 1981 to March 1984, Captain Ecker served as Senior Chaplain to Commander Naval Surface Forces PACIFIC in San Diego, California. In 1982 he was elevated to Domestic Prelate of the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. Transferring in March 1983, Captain Ecker assumed the duties of Fleet Chaplain for the Commander-in-Chief, U.S. ATLANTIC Fleet/Supreme Allied Commander ATLANTIC. He reported to his final Command in May 1987 as Command Chaplain Naval Air Station North Island, California. Captain Ecker retired from active duty in September 1991.
Captain Ecker’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal; Navy Commendation Medal; Navy Achievement Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation w/Palm.
In March 1984 Father Ecker received the honorific title of Reverend Monsignor. After retiring from the U.S. Navy, Monsignor Ecker continued his ministry with an energetic schedule. He joined his longtime friend, Monsignor Thomas Campbell to perform Parish Renewals in Catholic parishes throughout the country, a project that was near and dear to his heart. Though he maintained a home in Montauk, New York, Father was to be found in Coronado, California. Father kept a busy post-retirement schedule through his relationships with many area local churches and organizations including Sacred Heart Of Jesus in Coronado where he often filled in to say mass and participate in events. He regularly said mass at Church of the Immaculate Conception in Old Town, San Diego. Father continued his long association with Saint Didacus Catholic Church in San Diego and the Carmelite Monastery, also in San Diego. The impression he left on congregants there will never fade. Monsignor Ecker was a longtime supporter of Nazareth House in San Diego, an assisted living, care home, and Hospice home for people of all denominations. He was involved in countless retreats and Christian groups, and participated in “Love Our Priests’ events faithfully for many years. His positive outlook and high energy made him a very popular participant in any group. Father was an avid sportsman throughout his life, in particular a golfer, and a great one. He was known for his love of roses and won awards for his garden. His legendary storytelling and wit were central to his sermons and counsel. They often entertained but always carried a valuable message. Father was a gregarious man who lived a humble life, a life that left a mark on so many. He was a natural problem-solver, caring a great deal about all people.
His great devotion was to his faith and to peace, the theme that was always central in his life and sermons. To visit him, one would witness a revolving door of friends, clergy, service members, and congregants, all of whom he never stopped interacting with. He had the blessing of very close friends and wonderful caregivers, who made the last few years great for him. He was terrific company, and a force of nature, with energy, wisdom, and wit to spare. He had a very close relationship with both of his brothers, both of whom predeceased him. Monsignor Ecker was scheduled to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his ordination on the 9th of June, instead he started the celebrations early in that most fantastic place on June 3rd. He is survived by nephews Edward Ecker Jr., John Ecker, and Charles Ecker. Also by nieces Karen Ecker Farquar, Cheryl Ecker Bloecker, Mary Morgan, Catherine Ecker Flanagan, Jacqueline Jarboe, as well as several great nieces and nephews and great great nieces and nephews. Each one had a unique relations with Father. Father Bob had a reputation of surprising his family on Long Island by arriving unannounced when one of his brothers was a patient , spending all of his time in the hospital lending his support and encouragement. Before he would make the 3000 mile journey to return to California, he would be known by every person in that wing of the facility, patients, staff, and visitors alike. He was a person that truly is unforgettable and always left you with a smile, hope, and encouragement. He will be missed forever.
Having been raised by his mother Catherine and his aunt Anna after his father’s untimely death, Father always gave all honor and credit to the two women for providing him and his brothers with tremendous support, guidance, wisdom, and love throughout their lives. It instilled in him a great respect for the capability of women, the importance of education, and the power of being present in each moment and truly listening. Father Bob had a wonderful singing voice. The night before he was to be deployed to Vietnam, at a family gathering at Trail’s End Restaurant, Father sang “Spanish Eyes’ to his mother and it is cemented as one of our most touching and sentimental family moments. During her later years Mrs. Ecker traveled to her son’s current stations and stayed during the winter months. Eventually, she went to stay with him in Coronado fulltime and it was a time she loved. Father Bob assumed care for several close family friends as their lives were winding down. That was his trademark of reliability and dedication, his priority of helping others maintain their dignity through life’s seasons. His good intentioned work was reflected back to him in the last chapter of his life when he received the most excellent care by all who attended him in his home, where he left this world surrounded by love.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated for Monsignor Ecker on June 11, 2026 at Sacred Heart Church in Coronado California. He is being brought home to Montauk for his funeral and burial. The details are as follows: A wake at Yardley & Pino, 94 Pantigo Road, East Hampton, New York, 11937, June 23, 2026 from 4:00-8:00. Funeral mass the following day, June 24, 2026, at 11:00 am at St. Therese of Lisieux Church, 67 South Essex Street, Montauk, New York, 11954, burial to follow at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery in East Hampton, New York, 11937.
