Grant Douglas Eckroth passed away May 4, 2022.

ECKROTH—Grant Douglas Eckroth passed away May 4, 2022, after a long illness.

He was born on Aug. 28, 1949, and raised and attended schools in the Tacoma, Wash., area until moving to Florence, Ore., where he graduated high school in June 1967.

He entered active-duty Air Force on July 3, 1968. During his four years of active duty, he married and began his family. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force on June 30, 1972.

After his separation from service, he attended Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., taking classes in commercial real estate management. While attending college, he entered the real estate business and in 1978 started his own company.

He was one of the founders of the Central Oregon Coast Board of Realtors, serving as one of its first presidents and later a state representative. He was Exalted Ruler of the Florence Elks Ledge #1858, member and president of the City of Florence Budget Committee and other numerous civic positions.

After almost a 10-year break in military service, Grant joined the Air Force Reserves and was assigned to the 446th Operational Maintenance Squadron as a Crew Chief on the C-141 Starlifter. His Air Force career spanned 32 years, the last 8 of which he was promoted to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. He received many honors and medals during this time, but his greatest honor was serving the men and women of his squadron.

In 2001, Grant became a school bus driver for the Siuslaw School District. He missed being with the kids on the baseball field, and this ended up being his favorite job for 11 years.

Grant sold his main real estate office in 1995 and continued consulting and developing. He retired with more than 31 years as a commercial and residential real estate broker.

Grant married Karen O'Brien on December 20, 1997. Between them, they have four children — Grant Eckroth (Tanya), Max Eckroth (Ashley), Mark O'Brien (Mary) and Shana Scott — and six grandcildren: Ethan, Neveah, Wesley, Everett, Hank and Ilsa. He is also survived by two sisters, Debra Hoberg (Richard) and Leslie Robinson, and a brother, Mark Eckroth.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, June 26, at 4 p.m. at Cross Road Church in Florence, Ore. Burns’s Riverside Chapel Florence Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.