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Wilma Neita Howard Eckman, 95, of Mooresville, passed away on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. She was born on April 12, 1922 in Sherrills Ford, NC. Wilma was the eleventh child born to John Franklin and Annie Belle Cornelius Howard of Sherrills Ford, NC. After graduation from Sherrills Ford HS, Wilma worked at Stonestreet Café where she met Charley Eckman, second baseman for the 1939-40-41 Mooresville Moors Baseball Team. They met on Tuesday, married on Friday, Nov 19, 1941 to begin a life in and around Baltimore, MD. Wilma was proud to support Charley in his sporting career as Collegiate and NBA referee, Coach of the FT Wayne Pistons NBA team and first coach of the Detroit Pistons, Baltimore Radio/TV personality for WFBR, WCBM, WJZ and announcer for the Baltimore Bullets, Colts, Orioles, Blast soccer team and Penn National Racetrack. In between raising the family, Wilma was a marvelous gardener, cook, seamstress, a woman who would do anything asked of her and was the glue that held the family together. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Charley (1995); grandson, Paul W. Conner; great grandson, Brett Conner; brothers, Sloan, Russell, Grady, Ray and Harry Howard; Sisters, Jessie Sherrill, Annie Belle Jones, Agnes Clark and Mildred Berg. She is survived by children; Barry Eckman (Helen) of Chocowinity, NC; Linda Watts (Bob) of Mooresville, NC; Anita Gail Eckman of Yadkinville, NC; Janet Eckman of Annapolis, MD; grandchildren, Charles Nevin, Priscilla Eckman Thomas (Mike), Wendy Frost, Tammy Manning, Zorn Sliman, John Sliman and twelve great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, February 2 at Rehobeth United Methodist Church with Rev. Robert Kerr officiating. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00-11:00 AM at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials donations may be sent to Serenity House of Mooresville, 110 Centre Church Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117; Rehobeth Methodist Church, PO Box 356, Terrell, NC; Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Rd, Statesville, NC 28625. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Mooresville, is serving the Eckman family. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

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Wilma Neita Eckman

April 12, 1922 - January 31, 2018