John Eicher '40 - Ad Astra

John Eicher was a loyal Fiji who could be found attending luncheons and Pig Dinners throughout his graduate years.  May he rest in peace.

This obituary notice appeared in the Seattle Times -- Sunday Edition November 28, 2010

John Dick EICHER Beloved father, grandfather and friend, John passed away on November 20 at age 92. He attended Lowell School, Broadway HS and UW. He was Captain of the Broadway co-championship football team (1935) and on the all-city team. He was active in scouting: an Eagle Scout, summer staff at Camp Parsons, later a cub master & member of the Exec. Bd. of the Seattle Council. 


At the UW, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and received his Naval commission as Ensign. He went on active duty in 1940, joining the Battleship Pennsylvania, flagship of the fleet and was Officer-of-the-Deck on December 7, when the ship was hit at Pearl Harbor. For the rest of the war, the ship supported all major landings in the Pacific, taking on damage at Okinawa two days before VJ day. 

John returned home to marry his beloved Betty. Three years later while serving as his ship's Coordinating Officer at the Bikini Atoll Atom Bomb Project, he received word of son John's birth. Captain Eicher returned to his father's company, and later partnered with Dick Richards to form Eicher-Richards. He climbed mountains, played tennis into his 80's and loved his time at Sandy Hook, Whidbey Island. 

Sadly, he said goodbye to Betty & son John (Kathy) in 2003 and recently to sisters, Helen Childers, Dorothy Hollenbeck and Mary Richards. Left to remember the active role he played in their lives are: Shirley Kiang (Ping), Jim (Cathi), and Grandchildren Lindsay & Jeff Eicher, Drew, Chad and Randi Eicher, Kyle and Jordan Kiang and many nieces and nephews. Other of John's activities were the Seattle Rotary, Navy League, the Seattle Tennis Club, the Last Man's Club and the Leukemia Board. A celebration of his life will be held at the Seattle Tennis Club, 922 McGilvra Blvd. East on Dec.10 at 2:00. Remembrances can be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 530 Dexter N or the Horizon House Residents Fund or Horizon House Employees Recognition Fund.