Mr. Charles H. Eckermann

Deceased: 2016-10-21

Diocese: SYRACUSE

Seminary Graduation Year: 1957

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Charles Eckermann, a defrocked Catholic priest and former Syracuse school board president, has died.

Mr. Eckerman, 85, died Friday October 21st at St. Joseph’s Hospital, according to Danielle Cummings, spokeswoman for the Syracuse Catholic Diocese. His family arranged the funeral, which was held today, Cummings said.

Eckermann was a member of the Syracuse school district’s board of education, including a term as president until 1984, according to newspaper archives. He was a teacher at Bishop Ludden High School from 1963 to 1976. Eckermann was Ludden’s principal from 1970 to 1976 before leaving to become pastor at St. John the Baptist Church in Syracuse. He returned to Ludden in 1984 and was principal again for just a day before then-Bishop Frank Harrison rescinded the appointment.

Eckermann was an associate pastor at St. Brigid and St. Joseph parish from 1957 to 1963, according to newspaper archives. He was also pastor of St. John the Baptist parish in Syracuse and St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Binghamton. Eckermann started as pastor at St. Ann’s in May 1988. He had been the diocese’s director of development and planning for two years before that. Pope Paul VI designated Eckermann a monsignor in 1973. He retired in 2001.