Joseph Karl Eckert, beloved father and grandfather, died on June 16th, 2022, after a many year battle with Alzheimers. He was with loved ones during his final days and passed away listening to his favorite music, the Grateful Dead.

He is predeceased by his wife of 46 years, Diane Eckert, who passed away in March 2022 following a sudden stroke. He is survived by his children Rose-Ann Eckert, Elizabeth Eckert-Crosse, Christopher Eckert, Anna Eckert and their spouses; his brother and sister-in-law, Mike and Jen; and his nieces and nephews. He was a beloved grandfather to his three grand-daughters Finley, Ava, and Alexa.

Joe was born in Olean, New York, on August 4, 1944, the son of Jane and Delancey Eckert. In his youth, Joe was a member of the honor society in his junior and senior years in high school as well as the president of his junior and senior class in high school. His senior year he won the New York state high school golf championship.  Despite struggling with dyslexia, he graduated with a PhD in economics from Tufts University after earning his undergraduate degrees in economics and world religion from Syracuse University. 

In his 20’s and 30’s, he was an aspirational Buddhist and meditator, part-time palm reader, and co-owner of the music venue, Boston Tea Party. Later in his life he regaled his children with stories about having the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, and others play there. For their honeymoon, Diane and Joe stayed with archaeologists at Mayan excavation sites in Guatemala – their photos from that trip led to many a tall tale he passed on to their children about discovering treasure. While he was writing his dissertation (for 11 years), he began his career as a professor at Curry College and worked at the Brookline rent control board, where he met his future wife, Diane.

They married on July 5th, 1975, in what one could only call a “culturally eclectic,” wedding ceremony. Their wedding included readings from the I-Ching, Bhaghavad Gita and Bible, a Hindu chant and a cake with an “Om” symbol. Their wedding was a reflection of a progressive open-mindedness the two of them evolved throughout life. They moved to Brookline and started their family.

Joe always encouraged, and was generous in helping others to improve themselves. He was a great mentor to his younger brother Michael and encouraged him to complete his post graduate MBA. He welcomed his brother-in-law Clay, who was working on a graduate degree, into his home, and helped his other brother-in-law Bob to get accepted into Curry College.

Joe was a recognized authority on property tax administration and reform, including using computer-assisted mass appraisals (CAMA). He was a proponent of property valuation as a means to support local economic development across the developing world. Joe’s natural curiosity about different cultures and world religion, combined with his drive to help developing countries access resources and improve their well-being, led him to work in over 30 countries during his career - some of his favourites included Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, and South Africa. Joe was the holder of the International Association of Assessing Officers “International Award” which he received for his work in developing property tax systems in countries emerging from Communism, and the general editor of their textbook Property Appraisal and Assessment Administration (which was translated into Russian and Mandarin, and which he gifted to all his children). He served as an elected member of the Board of Trustees of the Appraisal Foundation of the United States.

Joe had immense joy from raising four children-- Rose-Ann, Lizzy, Chris, and Anna -- with his wife Diane. He is remembered by his children as patient, quirky, intelligent, and nurturing. When they were growing up, he would spend hours at night scratching their backs and telling them Hardy Boy stories. Each Easter, he would stay up all night crafting individual Easter-egg hunts with clues that would ping back and forth from the yard to the computer in the basement. They remember his long hours after their “bed-time” sitting in the family room throwing coins while doing the I-Ching and Russian Fortune Telling Cards. He was incredibly proud of all his children as they carved their own paths in life; he could always be seen wearing sweat-shirts from their respective alma-maters.

Joe was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in his mid-sixties. While he struggled during his last few years, Diane was always by his side. His family will remember him most when listening to music, meditating, snacking on popcorn, and playing golf... In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association, HealthAlliance Home Health and Hospice of Leominster MA, the Interim Hospice in Sacramento, California, or your local hospice. 

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