Dolores Dee Eck

Dolores “Dee” Eck, 84, died on September 1, 2019. Rosary on Friday, September 6, 7:00 pm at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. Funeral Mass on Saturday, September 7, at 10:30 am at Blessed Sacrament. Burial at St. Mark’s Cemetery. Dee Eck, spouse of the predeceased Charles “Charlie” Eck, was born and raised in Beloit, Kansas. Her parents, Mike and Marie Stover, were known for their warm and generous hospitality, and they passed this gift on to Dee and her four sisters, Mary, Colleen, Jane, and Elizabeth. Mike and Marie also passed on to their daughters a love for their Catholic faith and a strong belief in the transformative power of Catholic education. Dee graduated from St. John’s High School in Beloit, attended Benedictine College in Atchison for two years, and graduated from Marymount College in Salina. She later received her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Wichita State University. Dee taught at Madonna High School and later at Bishop Carroll High School before moving on to her second career as the co-owner of C.E. Machine Co. with Charlie. Together, they began the business with one contract and one machine to produce the parts in an unairconditioned rental space in a brick warehouse near downtown Wichita. From that modest beginning, their partnership, with Dee running the front office and Charlie in back producing the parts, allowed C.E. Machine Co. to thrive and grow. During the years they operated C.E. Machine Co. together, Dee and Charlie were an inseparable team, whether it was at the office, on the lake boating, or at home hosting a New Year’s Eve party for family and friends. With Charlie’s unexpected death in 2003, Dee passed on C.E. Machine Co. to Brian Eck and began a new chapter in her life, albeit with a heavy heart. She was not one to believe in “retirement.” Dee was always busy and involved with a project or a cause or a social event. She greatly enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and took a keen interest in their activities, but most of all their education. Whether it was a science project, an art project, or an English paper, Grandma Dee wanted to know what her grandchildren were learning.  Even after she left Bishop Carroll High School for C.E. Machine Co., Dee never stopped teaching. Dee is survived by three daughters, their spouses, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Survivors are: daughter Colleen Medill, and her spouse Steve, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Rose, Kathleen, Josephine, and Matthew Medill; daughter Marie Hand and her spouse Tim, of Wichita, Kansas, Claire Cover, her  spouse, Reid, and their children, James, Dominic, and Christopher Cover, Colleen Osterman and her spouse, Nathan, and Catherine, Thomas, Bernadette, Patrick, and Bridgette Hand; and daughter Laurie Heap and her spouse Richard, of Leawood, Kansas, and John, Thomas, Charles, and Catherine Heap. Memorials have been established with: Bishop Carroll Catholic High School Fund 8101 West Central, Wichita, KS, 67212; Harbor House at Catholic Charities, P.O. Box 3759, Wichita, KS 67201. Services by Downing & Lahey East Mortuary.