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26 • GCU MAGAZ I NE
B
ob Eckel’s life is a work of art.
His retirement after more
than 30 years in engineering
was a nod to his lifelong love of
trains and railroads. At age 82, he’s still oil
painting railroad scenes from coast to coast,
including ones presented to United States
presidents and country music legends.
And, judging by his dozens of stories, each
of those scenes is worth a thousand words.
“It takes a lot of work,” he said. “Painting
railroad tracks alone is a full-time job.”
Born in Connecticut in 1934, Eckel moved
to Pennsylvania with his family after his
father “lost our house on a poker bet.” It
was there that the famous Reading Railroad
became part of his future passion.
More than 20 years into his engineering
career, he earned his bachelor’s degree in art
from what was then Grand Canyon College
in 1977.
By that point, he already had been
commissioned to do an oil painting for
former president Richard Nixon that hung in
the White House (Nixon’s father was in the
railroad business), one for Arizona governor
and presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater,
and another for Johnny Cash when “The
Man in Black” rode West to Arizona by train
during a 1976 tour.
“Two days before Watergate I get a letter
of thanks,” he said of Nixon. “You’d have
never known there was a problem.”
After 34 years in the steel and aircraft
industries, he retired in 1989 to pursue
painting (and reading). These days he paints
out of his Peoria, Ariz., home for a couple of
hours each morning and has artworks that
hang in six continents.
Since becoming one of the first GCU
graduates of an evening degree program, he’s
been a survivor — his doctor gave him 90
seconds to live seven years ago when Eckel
had a stroke, and he was struck by lightning
five years ago.
“I let go of the metal door handle (on his
car), and lightning hit the neighbor’s house and
traveled into me,” he said. “Sparks flying out of
my hand. I was numb, didn’t feel a thing.”
Perhaps lightning can strike twice. It
already has in his career.
“Guys (on the railroad) taught me right
and wrong and about life,” he said. “They
were very good. I love railroad people.”
Great track record
Eckel’s railroad paintings have brought him fame up and down the line
B Y M A R K H E L L E R
GCU
Alumni
Bob Eckel shows off one of his many paintings, which
are on display all over the world.
photo by darryl webb