We mourn the passing of Retired Journeyman Inside Wireman Marshall Eckman, who was 76 years old, and had been a member of Local 569 for over 52 years.
Following high school, Marshal was already interested in electricity, for he completed AC and DC Theory classes at Palomar Jr. College. However, he needed to ‘make a living’, so he worked as a “greenskeeper”, and then non-electrical maintenance for two years. When he was 21, he secured a job as a shop helper at Local 569’s Encinitas Electric. Marshall stayed with the shop for a year, then decided to ‘try his hand’ doing assembly work for a while. After being waylaid during this time, he finally ‘woke up’, and came back to Local 569, going to work as a Material Handler at . . . Encinitas Electric. For the next three years, Marshall secured a variety of experience, by working for Fischbach & Moore, CALEWO, Associated, Bice Electric, Baker Electric, and then stayed with S.D.G.&E. for the next 6 years. After he passed his Journeyman Inside Wireman’s exam, he worked for a variety of shops, including: Bechtel (both Units 1, and 2&3 [practically a ‘founding father’, being dispatched a total of 11 times, from the mid-70s to the late 90s!]), S.D.G.& E., Morrow-Meadows (2 dispatches), Fluor, and Ebasco, among others. His last dispatched ‘shop’ was Bechtel, in June 1998, and he finished his stint in late April 1999.
He will be remembered for his easy-going manner, clear baritone speaking voice, and his slightly dry sense of humor. Marshall will be missed.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 pm, Friday, May 4th, at La Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant, 9570 Murray Drive, La Mesa, 91942.
