William “Bud” Bradford Eicke, Jr., formerly of Bay City, Texas, passed away on October 22, 2020 at the age of 87. He was born on April 29, 1933 to William Bradford Eicke and Lura Mae (Strickland) Eicke in Hemphill, Texas. Bud was raised in Bronson, Texas and graduated from high school at the age of 15. He joined the Army and spent time overseas in Metz France. After the Army, Bud joined Sun Oil Company (SUNOCO) in Texas as a “doodlebugger” searching for oil reserves across the southwest. While working in west Texas, Bud met Deloris (Dee) Fockler while she was working in a restaurant. They fell in love and married, eventually raising five boys.
In 1963, Bud and Dee settled down in Vidor, Texas. Bud continued to progress his career with SUNOCO, and started tinkering with a new technology – color TV’s. Bud would spend some of his evenings with friends and family carrying a collection of vacuum tubes and “optimizing” everyone’s color TV sets. Bud and the family would make special trips to Bronson and Lake City Michigan, so the boys could spend time with their grandparents – going fishing, shooting, farming, horse riding, milking cows and bailing hay.
In 1970, the family moved to Plano, Texas so Bud could work at the SUNOCO Dallas office. He was recognized as a Senior Geophysicists. He was very proud and would tell everyone he was the first Senior Geophysicist without a college degree. While working for SUNOCO, Bud travelled all over the world including two trips to the North Pole looking for oil.
Bud worked for SUNOCO for over 30 years and retired at 55 years old.
In 1988, Bud moved to Bay City, Texas so he could spend more time fishing in the gulf. While at Bay City, Bud started a second career working as a sales representative for Trojan Explosives. Bud developed a shaped charge explosive that more efficiently focused the energy wave so lighter weight explosives could be used for oil exploration and is continued to be used today in seismic research. With Trojan, Bud travelled all over Mexico and South America helping those countries establish their oil exploration industries.
Bud lived in Bay City, Texas over the last 20 years and would enjoy his children and grandchildren when they would come down to visit. He always took them to Matagorda beach and he enjoyed watching them play in the sand and water. Some days he would take his boat and grandkids out fishing or just for a ride. Afterward, he always took them to his local watering hole, K-2 Steakhouse, and would fill them up with food and brag to everyone what great grandkids he had. We will forever be grateful to his K-2 friends. They became our friends and we truly loved them as they were “his Bay City Family”.
Bud is survived by his sons; Michael Dennis Eicke and wife, Karen of Benbrook, Texas; Charles Eicke and wife, Rose of The Colony, Texas; Philip Barry Eicke of Trenton, Texas; and George David (Sam) Eicke of Wylie, Texas; his grandchildren, Mark William Eicke, Jessica Eicke-Reinartz, Alex Eicke, Brandon Hartwell, Cody Eicke, Ryan Eicke, Jeremy Eicke, and Joshua Eicke, and his brother; Paul Eicke, and sister; Emily McClinton and husband, Herman, and many Nieces and Nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; William Bradford and Lura Mae Eicke; his son, William Bradford Eicke; his younger brothers, Cecil and George Eicke; and his older sister, Louise Eicke-Childs.
A “come and go” remembrance gathering will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home. Only a limited number of guests will be allowed to enter the funeral home facility at any one time to maintain social distancing.