Obituary for Gary Lee Eskam
Gary Lee Eskam, age 74, passed away peacefully in his home on February 13, 2021. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Thursday, February 18th at Calvary Lutheran Church in Scottsbluff with interment immediately following at Fairview Cemetery with Military Honors by the United States Marine Corps. In respect for the family, masks are highly encouraged at the service. The service will also be livestreamed on the Calvary Lutheran Facebook page: https://www.calvarylutheranscottsbluff.org/ and on Bridgman Funeral Home Facebook page. A public viewing will be held from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 17th at Bridgman Funeral Home. The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Calvary Lutheran Church and Potter’s Wheel Ministries. Online condolences may be made by viewing Gary’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com.
Gary was born on Easter Sunday, April 21, 1946 in Bridgeport, Nebraska to Theodore and Ruth Eskam. His family moved to Scottsbluff at an early age. Gary grew up one of seven children and attended Scottsbluff Public Schools. He joined the Marine Corps in 1967 and served in South Vietnam from 1968-1969. He was honorably discharged in February 1970. On August 27, 1967 he married the love of his life Pamela A. Eckhardt. From this marriage they had two children Corey and Kristi (Baker).
They returned home after his service and he went to work for American Optical. He went on to become a Board-Certified Optician with the American Board of Opticianry. Gary worked for Wiley Optical and eventually became a part owner. He joined Scottsbluff Vision Clinic where he worked for more than 30 years until his retirement in September of 2019 due to ongoing complications from pulmonary fibrosis and heart conditions. His warm smile and thorough understanding of his field brought many patients in just so he could adjust their glasses and help them. He seemed to know everyone you ran into on the street and always was glad to see a friend and share a conversation or to relay a story about his grandchildren.
In his spare time, he was an avid fisherman and spent time traveling with Pam on many adventures. He loved to laugh and share a story with his family and friends, meeting for Bible study, and attending his grandchildren’s activities.
He was loved and respected by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Pam, his son Corey (Paula) of Laramie, Wyoming, daughter Kristi (Jack) Baker of Scottsbluff, grandchildren Grace, Luke and Noah Baker, step-grandchildren Nick and Ryan Needles, sister Lavone Loseke of Scottsbluff, brothers Don (Bev) Eskam of Yuma, Arizona, Stan (Diane) Eskam of Gering, Bob (Connie) Eskam of Thornton, Colorado, brother-in-law Jerry (Jackie) Schmidt of Mitchell, and many nieces and nephews.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents Ted and Ruth Eskam, and his brothers and sisters-in-law Norm and Erlene Eskam, Darrell and Bobbe Eskam, brother-in-law Robert Sterkel, and sister-in-law Marlene Schmidt.
He is redeemed, forgiven, and under the Grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Gary was born on Easter Sunday, April 21, 1946 in Bridgeport, Nebraska to Theodore and Ruth Eskam. His family moved to Scottsbluff at an early age. Gary grew up one of seven children and attended Scottsbluff Public Schools. He joined the Marine Corps in 1967 and served in South Vietnam from 1968-1969. He was honorably discharged in February 1970. On August 27, 1967 he married the love of his life Pamela A. Eckhardt. From this marriage they had two children Corey and Kristi (Baker).
They returned home after his service and he went to work for American Optical. He went on to become a Board-Certified Optician with the American Board of Opticianry. Gary worked for Wiley Optical and eventually became a part owner. He joined Scottsbluff Vision Clinic where he worked for more than 30 years until his retirement in September of 2019 due to ongoing complications from pulmonary fibrosis and heart conditions. His warm smile and thorough understanding of his field brought many patients in just so he could adjust their glasses and help them. He seemed to know everyone you ran into on the street and always was glad to see a friend and share a conversation or to relay a story about his grandchildren.
In his spare time, he was an avid fisherman and spent time traveling with Pam on many adventures. He loved to laugh and share a story with his family and friends, meeting for Bible study, and attending his grandchildren’s activities.
He was loved and respected by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Pam, his son Corey (Paula) of Laramie, Wyoming, daughter Kristi (Jack) Baker of Scottsbluff, grandchildren Grace, Luke and Noah Baker, step-grandchildren Nick and Ryan Needles, sister Lavone Loseke of Scottsbluff, brothers Don (Bev) Eskam of Yuma, Arizona, Stan (Diane) Eskam of Gering, Bob (Connie) Eskam of Thornton, Colorado, brother-in-law Jerry (Jackie) Schmidt of Mitchell, and many nieces and nephews.
Gary was preceded in death by his parents Ted and Ruth Eskam, and his brothers and sisters-in-law Norm and Erlene Eskam, Darrell and Bobbe Eskam, brother-in-law Robert Sterkel, and sister-in-law Marlene Schmidt.
He is redeemed, forgiven, and under the Grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.