Gale Elaine (Waechter) Eckhardt

Gale Elaine Eckhardt
February 23, 1947 ~ January 2, 2026

Gale Eckhardt, 78, of Douglas, passed away on January 2, 2026, at University Medical Center in Tucson, surrounded by her family and friends. She was born Gale Elaine Waechter on February 23, 1947, in Douglas to Ernest "Pete" Waechter and Mary Louise Branagh, whose family has been part of the Douglas community since the early 1900s.

Gale graduated from Douglas High School in 1966, where she met her future husband, Morris Eckhardt. They attended the University of Arizona until Morris joined the Army in 1970. From there, she accompanied him to many posts, balancing raising her two children, Shelby and Jason, with working at various Post Exchanges (PX) around the U.S., Europe, and Puerto Rico. They resettled in Douglas upon his retirement in 1989.

Following Morris's military retirement, Gale continued to support her family while Morris worked part-time and returned to school to become a nurse. During this time, she worked at various stores in Douglas until she became the manager of the local Dairy Queen, where she remained until her retirement.

Gale was creative and enjoyed arts and crafts; she spent much of her life doing embroidery and paper crafts. Later in life, her favorite hobby was making homemade Christmas and birthday cards. She shared this passion with the community by volunteering and contributing to the Douglas Art Gallery for many years. Her family also had deep roots in the First Presbyterian Church, where she remained an active member throughout her life. She was very thankful for the guidance and community of the church and made many friends there across the years.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Morris. She is survived by her brother, Jerry Waechter; nephew Tony Waechter; two children, Shelby Eckhardt and Jason Eckhardt; one daughter-in-law, Allison Eckhardt; five adoring grandchildren, Ariel Pittaway, Aaron Pittaway, Katriel Calia, Gabrielle Eckhardt, and Alexandra Eckhardt; one sister-in-law Sharon Deist; adopted sister Jael Calia; and beloved yippy-yappy dogs, Miss Marple and Brother Cadfael.

A memorial service will be held on April 25th at First Presbyterian Church in Douglas at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to First Presbyterian Church.

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