Obituaries

Jesse James Eckert, 39, of Madison, WI passed away unexpectedly at his residence on Thursday, March 24th, 2016. Jesse was born to Kristen Eckert on December 29th, 1976 in Black River Falls, WI. When Jesse was two, his beloved sister Angela was born; two years later, they welcomed a younger brother, Nathan. The family eventually moved to Eau Claire, WI where Jesse attended school. It was in Eau Claire that Jesse gained a second family: innumerable close friends with whom he shared countless unforgettable memories. In December of 1992, Jesse’s first daughter, Sydney, was born. In May of 1994, Jesse welcomed a second daughter, Audrey. His daughters were, and continue to be, the loves of his life. He completed his high school equivalency in 1997 and later attended courses at Chippewa Valley Technical College. He held a variety of jobs throughout his life, but found himself particularly interested in working on cars. Recently, Jesse was in the process of re-enrolling in college to pursue this passion as an automotive technician.
Often described as a “free spirit,” Jesse spent many years travelling, and was proud to have had the opportunity to travel to and live in countless cities across the country. He was interested in politics and world affairs. Jesse was passionate about the arts and loved all genres of music, particularly punk rock. He was an incredibly loving, compassionate individual and advocated for the fair treatment of animals from a very young age. Jesse had a way of making everyone around him feel significant and special, a trait that allowed him to develop lifelong friendships wherever he travelled.
Jesse is survived by his mother, Kristen Schultz of Eau Claire, WI; siblings Angela (Scott) Sanders of Humbird, WI and Nathan (Kara) Schultz of Eau Claire, WI; daughters, Sydney Dean of Winona, MN, and Audrey Eckert (Quin Kilmer) of Chippewa Falls, WI; a granddaughter, Brooklyn; an aunt, Janika Eckert (Rob Johnston) of Albion, ME; nieces and nephew Nicole, Rylee, Mariah, Madison, and Brandon; and countless friends from all walks of life whom he loved dearly and undoubtedly considered part of his family. He is preceded in death by grandfather, Edwin Eckert; grandmother, Roselind Eckert; and an uncle, Erik Eckert.
Inarguably one of Jesse’s greatest life accomplishments was his recent sobriety. After many years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, he made the decision to get clean. We are incredibly proud of Jesse for his efforts and persistence in his journey to sobriety. This accomplishment would not have been possible had it not been for the support of the Jessie Crawford Recovery Center of Madison, WI. In lieu of flowers, our family requests that donations be made to this organization in Jesse’s memory. More information can be found at http://www.jessiecrawfordrecovery.org/
We have chosen not to hold a formal memorial service at this time, but will reach out to family and friends regarding a celebration of life event to honor Jesse at a later date. We encourage you to utilize the guest book feature of this online obituary to share with our family any memories you have of Jesse. Thank you in advance!