Honoring the Life of Louis "L.B." Eckelkamp, JR.

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Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of one of my constituents and a dear friend, Louis ``L.B.'' Eckelkamp, Jr. of Washington, Missouri. It is difficult to put into words what L.B. meant for so many people and the City of Washington. L.B. started his career at a young age, learning the value of hard work while working for his father at Diamonds Restaurant in via a Ridge as a teenager washing dishes and busing tables. He was a tireless advocate for our community, devoting his life to making the world better for those around him. He served over five decades with the Bank of Washington, the longest-serving director in its history, and he also founded the oldest law firm in Washington, Eckelkamp Kuenzel LLP. He had a great many professional accomplishments, but he was so much more than just the successes of his career. He believed in volunteer service and giving back to the community and was one of the most involved and engaged people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was deeply committed to the Boy Scouts, serving locally and nationally, and helped nurture so many individuals who will become leaders in their own right in the next generation. His service included roles at the YMCA, Washington Town and Country Fair, Mercy Hospital, St. Louis Archdiocese, Missouri Historical Society, and St. Francis Borgja Parrish, among so many others. L.B. worked every day of his life to inspire those around him. He was a pillar of Washington and will leave a long legacy from which we all can learn. I am blessed to have known him personally and learned so much from him, and I know

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there are so many in Washington who feel the same. These are big shoes to fill, and it will truly take the entire community coming together to do the work that L.B. was doing. But the reality is, we all will and L.B. knows we will. He led by example, and we have much more to learn from all he did. He leaves behind Bonnie, his wife of over six decades who was always by his side and is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Their marriage serves as a strong example of how two likeminded Missourians who care about those around them can make lasting changes here in our neighborhoods as an equal partnership. They were inseparable as they built a life of service and philanthropy that was centered around a shared passion to invest in their community, make Washington a better place for all, and give a helping hand to those in need. My prayers are with Bonnie, children Buzz and Jeanna, his sisters Judy and Susie, and his grandchildren and great grandchild. I thank L.B. for all he did for Washington, for Missouri, and for all those who loved him. May God Bless him.

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