Otto Eickmeyer

Otto Eickmeyer, 78, Columbus, IN (formerly Ocean, NJ) died yesterday at Traditions of Columbus with his children by his side.

He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and lived most of his life in Ocean, NJ. He was a 1968 graduate of Pratt Institute where he earned a BS in Electrical Engineering. He served in the US Navy for 4 years, including 1 year in Da Nang, Vietnam. He was a die-hard auto enthusiast that worked at Pontiac early in his career and enjoyed working on cars. He retired from Fort Monmouth (Department of the Army, Satellite Communication Engineer) where he worked for 35 years. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church on the Hill while residing in NJ. 

He enjoyed spending time and vacationing with his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was an active scout leader with his sons, model train enthusiast, and member of the church choir. He enjoyed traveling including trips to Disney World and a recent trip to Alaska with family. Some of the more interesting projects he worked on was engineering/building a mid-engined ‘64 Corvair (small-block Chevy V8 / manual transmission) as well as building a ‘55 Chevy Bel-Air for track use and completely restoring a motorhome that was used for many family camping trips around the country. He was always passionate about his dogs.

He was predeceased by his wife of 29 years, Claire Eickmeyer. Surviving are two sons: Charles and Heather Eickmeyer, Winchester, VA; James and Sarah Eickmeyer, Columbus, IN; Two daughters: Denise and Shawn Endlich, New Philadelphia, OH; Christine and Christopher Ryan, Boulder, CO; Sister: Linda and David Waite, Middletown, NJ. He was also a proud Grandpa to 14 grandchildren. 

A small ceremony is being held in Columbus, Indiana at Traditions of Columbus on Saturday, 2/15 at 4pm followed by a memorial service in Ocean, NJ at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Bartholomew County Humane Society are welcome in honor of Otto’s memory.