Obituaries

Josephine Eckert had a life well lived. She had good friends, a great career; she traveled, and she loved sports, especially the WVU and Pittsburgh teams.

Jo was the daughter of Joseph and Edna Bixler. She was born at home on June 11th 1936, in the house her parents then shared with her Aunt and Uncle located in Haydentown, Pennsylvania. She was highly encouraged by her mother, a schoolteacher / principal, to do well as a student. Being a motivated daughter, she happily complied and graduated as Valedictorian of her class.

She chose to pursue accounting as a career and went onto West Virginia University where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in 1956. It was there she met and later married her husband John in 1956. She always said she picked him because he was the smartest guy in her accounting class.

Jo began her business career breaking down barriers running her 1st business, a small gas station, at the age of 16 in 1952. In 1956 she was interviewing for accounting jobs that said “Men Only” and was proud to land her first job with Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX. Later after being removed from the workforce while expecting her first, and only child, Valjean, she bided her time as a stay-at-home mom, in the Pittsburgh, PA area, until she returned to the work force eventually landing as Vice President of Benedum Trees Oil Company of Pittsburgh. When she and her husband John relocated to Clarksburg, West Virginia she obtained her CPA designation and opened her own firm, which her husband John later joined, and they worked successfully together for many years until his retirement. Never letting go she maintained her CPA license until the time of her passing.

Jo and her husband, John, were lifetime season ticket holders for WVU football and basketball, never missing a home game. John was always proud to take her to the games; later she was extremely thankful for her extended family and friends who helped her continue this tradition after John passed.

Throughout her life she was highly engaged in volunteer service. While in Clarksburg West Virginia, she served for many years with The League for Service. She also joined the First Presbyterian Church of Clarksburg, where she served as a Ruling Elder, Deacon, Treasurer, Usher and Greeter, currently, she was serving on the Board of Deacons.

During the 70s she was especially delighted to have gone with her church to tour the holy land. She proudly showed the slides from those trips to anyone who would watch.

Most recently, she was engaged in restoring her homestead in Fayette Co. PA and helping to establish her daughter’s horse farm, in the Laurel Highlands. Prior to her passing on December 10th, 2020, she was able to enjoy living on that farm with Valjean, the horses and the beagle Daisy.

Jo was sadly preceded in death by, John Eckert her husband of 48 years.

She is survived by her daughter Valjean Wilson, her brother and sister-in-law David and Carol Baker and her brother-in-law Richard Eckert, her niece and nephews Gretchen McCurry, Chris Eckert, and David Baker, as well as many beloved cousins and friends.

If you would like to make a donation in lieu of flowers, please consider the following:
First Presbyterian Church of Clarksburg at 175 West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301 www.clarksburgFPC.org WV 26301
Mountaineer Athletic Club in support of WVU student athletes at wvumac.com or by mailing a check to The Mountaineer Athletic Club, PO Box 877, Morgantown WV 26507.

There will be no public visitation.

A public graveside service will be held on Monday, December 14, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at the Bridgeport Cemetery, 400 Benedum Dr, Bridgeport, WV with Reverend John Koerner presiding.

A virtual memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Clarksburg, WV, which will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/FPCClarksburg. The telephone call-in number for zoom is 301-715-9592, ID Number 5517202769, password 3046226831,it can also be accessed via a browser at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5517202769, password 3046226831.

Memorial folders are available upon request to Amos Carvelli Funeral Home.

Expressions of sympathy may be extended to the family at www.amoscarvelli.com A service of Amos Carvelli Funeral Home.