Marjorie Mills Robinson Eckels died June 5, 2013, at age 91. She died peacefully at
home in the loving care of her daughters Marilyn and Christine. Marjorie was born in
Hartford, CT, where she grew up the cherished only child of William and Violet
Robinson. She attended U of Conn where she met her husband and life partner Arthur
Raymond Eckels. They were married for over 50 years. Marjorie completed a Master of
Social Work degree at the U of Chicago. Between 1949 and 1953, Art and Marjorie's
four children were born, Alan in Mt. Carmel, CT, and Peter, Marilyn, and Christine in
Raleigh, NC, where Art taught at NC State. The family moved to Burlington, VT, where
they lived for five wonderful years in a countryside home with a spectacular view of
Lake Champlain. Following their move back to Raleigh for Art's professorship at NC
State, Marjorie worked for years in her chosen field of social work. Despite busy lives
working and raising four children, Marjorie and Art opened their home to minority
students and students from other countries. In their retirement years, they welcomed the
Angar family, friends from Afghanistan, into their home. Marjorie also maintained a
close relationship with her Aunt Margaret of Manchester, CT, her father's youngest
sister.
Marjorie lived among the trees, flowers, and birds she loved in the family home in
Raleigh for 52 years. On Feb. 1, 2013, Marjorie moved to the Oaks at Whitaker Glen
where she joined many longtime friends, including many church members. She was
happy and comfortable there in her new home, being, as she said, a woman who
adjusted easily to many circumstances. Marjorie was a transplanted New Englander
who surprised herself by her deep affinity for her adopted home in the South.
Marjorie had an abiding faith in God's mysterious presence in all people and creatures
of this earth, and in the earth itself. She loved her church community at the Community
United Church of Christ, where she and Art were committed members throughout their
adult lives. Marjorie expressed her faith actively in her commitments to people and
causes that mattered to her deeply. These included many years engaged in this
country's Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Rights and Gay Rights Movements.
Community action was important to her. For years, Marjorie delivered meals for the
Meals-on-Wheels program, collected food bags for the Urban Ministries Food Pantry,
and participated on the Rich Park Board. She was proud to participate faithfully in the
Raleigh Peace Vigil as a “Grandma for Peace!” Recently she was honored with the
Carolyn and Cy King Peace and Justice Award, a tribute she treasured.
Marjorie enjoyed so many experiences in her good, long life, but simple pleasures
meant the most to her: cooking and sharing meals with family and friends, playing
games at her dining room table, watching birds from her breakfast table, picnics on the
back deck, evenings by fireside, reading, sewing, knitting, and tending her garden. She
also enjoyed tent camping with her family; establishing a Christmas Tree Farm at Art’s
family home in CT; and lifelong learning through the CUCC forum, Elderhostel, and
college courses at Meredith College and elsewhere. She loved visiting art museums,
attending ballet and symphony performances, and going to the theater. She always
focused on the positive and accepted life's imperfections and minor disappointments
philosophically.
Marjorie and Art shared a love of travel, both visiting other countries and living in them.
With their children they lived in Taiwan, Japan, and Afghanistan, while Art taught
Electrical Engineering at local universities. One experience of which Marjorie herself
was incredulous in her later years was bringing her four young children home from
Taiwan solo. While Art finished his work in Taiwan, Marjorie shepherded her children
home to Vermont aboard a Danish cargo ship. Those who knew Art as well will
understand that this was, in fact, his idea! Marjorie and Art were active in SERVAS and
Friendship Force in their retirement years. A highlight for Marjorie, her daughters, and
Christine’s husband Michael in recent years was a small boat cruise from Croatia to
Greece on the Adriatic Sea. Marjorie and her daughters also enjoyed retreats to the NC
mountains, the NC and Oregon coasts, and one exceptional trip to the English Lake
District and Scotland. Marjorie enjoyed many special times with her son Alan who died
in 2005, and her son Peter who lives in Raleigh.
Marjorie and Art took great pleasure in their grandsons- Peter's son Jonathan, Marilyn's
son Daniel, and Christine's son Damian. Visits with Grandma and Grandpa were muchanticipated
by all. Art and Marjorie had many adventures with Jonathan at their CT
Christmas Tree farm. With Daniel, they explored the parks and enjoyed campfires and
s'mores in Bellingham, WA. With Damian, they enjoyed outdoor activities in Fort
Collins, CO, and Corvallis, OR. Despite all living at a considerable distance from NC,
Marjorie and Art were a strong, caring presence in their grandsons' lives.
In recent years Marjorie was happy to see her grandson Jonathan, who lives on Long
Island, marry and have a son of his own, Daniel. She was proud to see her grandson
Daniel complete an MBA degree and accept a position as a Management Consultant in
DC. She was thrilled that her grandson Damian was selected for NOAA Corps where he
worked aboard a hydrographic research vessel and is soon to enter graduate school at
U of NH. Marjorie was proud of her grandsons' accomplishments, but what made her
happiest was that they were embarked on meaningful, satisfying lives.
Love, humility, and compassionate acceptance of differences were the threads that ran
through Marjorie's life. She never waivered from her belief that we are ALL God's
children, equally beautiful and deserving in God's eyes. Marjorie was an inspiration to all
who knew her. She was a beautiful and much loved wife, mother, grandmother, and
friend. We will miss her everyday, but we are so thankful, family and friends alike, for
her loving and faithful presence in our lives.