Montauk Pioneer - April 5, 2009 -

When he stood before the Grand Marshal at Gurney's Inn talking about this years Friends of Erin parade, the Grand Marshal happened to be his mom. East Hampton Police Captain Edward Vincent Ecker was proud and humble when he proclaimed that another former Grand Marshal, his Dad Eddie Sr., was up there in heaven looking down on he and his mother, Fran Ecker, and at that moment a tear came to his eye. He paused, gathered his composure and saluted his mother. Yes, indeed Captain Eddie Ecker is all Montauk. He is the essence of a homegrown leader, a man who knows the history of almost all the houses in Montauk and the families that lived in them. A serious man, Captain Ecker knows how to tell a good story, and loves to make others laugh. He was born in Southampton Hospital on March 27, 1954. In other words he just celebrated his 55th birthday this week. He first attended St. Therese Catholic School in Montauk from grades 1-6 but graduated from the Montauk Public School a year behind present Town of East Hampton Police Chief Todd Sarris. Ecker graduated from East Hampton High School in 1972, saying, "I wasn't the brightest kid in the school." However, perhaps he meant this in terms of assigned school work, because after high school and some college time, he served in the United States Navy for three years highlighted by duty on the nuclear attack sub USS Hawkbill. This was during the height of the cold war, while President Richard Nixon had the United States Navy eyeball to eyeball with the then Soviet Union Navy. After his patriotic service in the Navy, in 1976 he did some county work for the courts until he became an East Hampton Police officer in 1982, rising to the rank of captain in 2003. He has been married to "the love of my life," Roxanne, for 33 years and they have two married daughters, Kari Shea, who lives in Virginia, and Karly Pena, who resides in California and who is also expecting Eddie and Roxanne's first grandchild later this year. Captain Ecker matter-of-factly said, "I live in Montauk. I grew up in Montauk. I wouldn't live in any other place, this is the greatest place to raise kids."

What was it like being the son of former East Hampton Town Supervisor and State Assemblyman Eddie Ecker? "We never really fished and we loved sports. In fact my Dad and I went to the great NFL championship game in 1962 at Yankee Stadium between the N.Y. Giants and the Green Bay Packers which the Giants lost. That was the really cold game. I was eight years old. I remember being with Dad, Perry Duryea and Dickie White."

Captain Ecker stressed he is still a huge Giants fan. As he recounted this tale you could hear the pride and admiration he still strongly feels about his father, a man so many in Montauk still remember and respect for being such a wise man and a good local leader. He mentioned that although he probably has gone to as many Mets games as Yankees games, he is a New York Yankee fan. Like he did growing up, he hunts and plays golf for relaxation to this day.

He mentioned proudly while attending the Montauk Public School his mother "always had my back." There is no doubt about the love that Captain Ecker has for his mother and that he truly understands the importance of family life, being committed to family and putting them first. But it seems that Captain Ecker has a lot of unofficial family in Montauk also. Because of his good nature, he has always been a popular figure around Montauk. His big smile is only undermined by a steely look when such a look is necessary. Captain Ecker's future will be focused on Montauk after his Police career comes to an end someday. When asked where he was going to retire, Captain Ecker said, "In Montauk, I am not going anywhere else, in fact I plan on giving back to this community that has given me so much. I plan to be active in the Montauk Volunteer Fire Department after I retire." A true son of the salt air of Montauk, Ecker has the back of the whole Town of East Hampton, as well as his home village of Montauk. He cares about his streets, his neighbors, their homes and families. He knows he has a job to do and we know we in East Hampton Town as well as Montauk are in good local hands.