The quality of a man’s life can be measured by the legacy he leaves behind
Although some may debate the accuracy of this statement – it certainly holds true for Mr. Bob Eckert, the man for whom the Summit County Farm Bureau’s Robert H. Eckert Memorial Academic Scholarship is named.
Bob Eckert was a farmer and lifelong resident of Copley, Ohio. As a local farmer, Bob supported the area’s agricultural community by serving as Secretary of the Summit County Farm Bureau Board of Trustees. In that role, which spanned “too many years to count,” he became known for the meticulously detailed handwritten minutes he would record during each meeting.
In addition to his role as a farmer and an active member of the Summit County Farm Bureau, Bob also drove a school bus for the Copley Public Schools for many years. Although he never married or had any children of his own, he touched the lives of countless children over the course of his long career with the public school system.
Bob’s involvement with his charges went beyond safely delivering them to their intended destination each school day. He also hired many of these students to work on his farm after school hours and during summer vacations. There, he was a patient educator intent on teaching those who wanted to learn what he knew about farming, working the land, and animal husbandry. Not surprisingly, when Bob passed away, former students lined up outside the funeral home to pay their respects to the man who had been both their friend and teacher.
Not long after his passing, the Summit County Farm Bureau Board of Trustees voted to create an academic scholarship program in honor of Bob’s memory. They established an award of $1,000 per academic year, with the option to renew for up to 4 years (provided minimum academic standards were maintained). Last year, five individuals were awarded a $1,000 renewable scholarship as part of this program.
The Robert H. Eckert Memorial Academic Scholarship was the first program of its kind to be established by a local farm bureau organization. Since its inception, it has been open to the children of current farm bureau members who were interested in furthering their education in an agricultural-related field.
Since the mid-1970s, nearly 100 deserving local students have benefited from The Robert H. Eckert Memorial Academic Scholarship. Without question, this memorial scholarship program serves as a lasting legacy for a man who devoted his life to education and the agricultural community in Summit County, Ohio.
The Summit County Farm Bureau is currently accepting applications for the Robert H. Eckert Memorial Academic Scholarship for the 2011 – 2012 school year. Application deadline is March 1, 2011. For more information (and to instantly download an application), click here.