Leon Eckhoff

Leon Lonnie Eckhoff, 84, passed away on Friday, November 17, 2023, at his home in Bend, Texas. Leon was born October 20, 1939, in the German community of Shelby, Texas to Otto and Lillian Hauck Eckhoff. In 1947, the Eckhoff Family joined a few other families and moved from Shelby to the banks of the Colorado River to the community of Bend. Leon started school learning in German, thus, the move was not easy as he had to improve his English in order to attend the Bend School. Upon closure of the Bend School, Leon started attending school in San Saba and graduated in 1958. After a semester at Tarleton College, he decided to enter the workforce and began his career in the telecommunications industry. After a few years working he was drafted into the United States Army and served as a helicopter crew chief. He was fortunate to spend a significant amount of his time at Fort Hood, just an hour from home. Leon was drafted with a gentleman from the Panhandle that would become his best Army buddy and lifelong friend, Cecil Martin. They were born the same day, drafted the same day, served together, and ended their military career the same day. They always made it a point to touch base with each other at Christmas each year. After serving his country he went back into the telecommunications industry and worked for various contractors until he and his brother Dickie started their own company, where they spent 35 years working primarily in the City of Sugar Land, a suburb of Houston. Leon made many valuable and lifelong friends in the telephone industry, with some of the best being Larry Tullos, David Driggers, Walt Waters, Joe Stepanski, Larry Gregory, and a long list of others. In 2012, he decided it was time to call it a career and he retired to help take care of the sheep, cattle, and pecans with his wife Mebbie. Leon loved harvesting pecans and going to livestock shows through the years. He served the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders Association for many years as a Board Member as well as a term as Vice President. Leon was preceded in death by his wife Mebbie Lively Eckhoff in May 2022 along with his parents Otto and Lillian. He is survived by his lifelong best friend and brother Dickie Eckhoff as well as son Robbie and wife Amy of Hawley, Texas and his son Donnie and wife Abbie of Axtell, Texas. Leon is also survived by his grandchildren Ethan and Ory Eckhoff of Hawley and Brynna Chappell of Axtell. Leon is also survived by his sister-in-law Debbie January of Chappel. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, 1:00 - 2:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home in San Saba, Texas. Funeral service follow at 2:00 PM at the Heritage Funeral Home Chapel of San Saba. Burial will be after the service at the Chappel Cemetery in Chappel, Texas between Bend and Cherokee. Memorials may be made to the Chappel Cemetery or to the charity of your choice. Funeral arrangements are entrusted Heritage Funeral Home of San Saba. Please view Mr. Eckhoff's online memorial at www.heritagefuneralhomes.com

Leon Eckhoff

October 20, 1939 - November 17, 2023