Area leaders mourn loss of longtime Belleville mayor
The death of former Belleville Mayor Mark Eckert on Wednesday prompted an outpouring of condolences and memories from Belleville and other metro-east communities.
Eckert, who was mayor from December 2004 to April 2021, was the second-longest serving mayor in the city’s history. He was 67.
Eckert died following a seven-month battle with cancer.
Here are comments from community leaders who shared their memories of Eckert:
Patty Gregory, mayor of Belleville
Gregory said she asked that the city’s flags fly at half-staff in honor of Eckert, who influenced “generations” of Belleville residents as mayor. She hopes that when people see the flags, they remember Eckert for his years of service to the community.
“He had a wonderful love for the city and its citizens and he made quite a large impact on their lives.
“He was a great volunteer before he was even an alderman or mayor. He worked tirelessly with the Franklin Neighborhood Association and the Boy Scouts, just with organizations all over the city. And he also worked very closely with Joe Hubbard and the Catholic Urban Programs.
“I think as much as he loved being the mayor, his true love and passion was for his family. If you look at his Facebook page and read his Facebook page, there’s really wonderful pictures and happy memories of him as a husband and a father and a grandpa. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and on behalf of the city, may he rest in peace.”
Jenny Gain Meyer, Belleville city clerk
Meyer first met Eckert when she was 18 and participating in the AmeriCorps program in the Franklin Neighborhood Community Association.
“Mark had that unique ability to get everyone around him, including myself, his family and friends, our staff, the residents to see that Belleville has great potential and he made sure you got involved so you had a personal stake in making our city a better place to live. Personally, I don’t have the proper words to express how profound of a loss we have suffered. All I can say is that he will be missed.”
Wendy Pfeil, president and CEO of the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce
“He truly had a passion for the city of Belleville. It was unmatched. He tried each and every day to live a mission to make this community a better place to live and work and he put his heart and soul into it every day that he served as mayor and alderman for the city of Belleville.”
Joe Hubbard, longtime friend and collaborator
Hubbard and Eckert got to know each other in the 1970s, when both were Boy Scout leaders. Eckert later drove an ambulance for the former Pete Gaerdner Funeral Home, transporting some of the elderly people Hubbard was helping as director of Catholic Urban Programs.
As an alderman and mayor, Eckert often assisted with Hubbard’s charitable causes, including allowing the Society of St. Vincent de Paul to use office space in a Belleville Police Department building on West Main Street. Eckert and Hubbard famously talked on the phone almost every day.
“He was a great guy. He cared about people. Every morning (as mayor), he would drive through the city and look at various areas and if there was trash or a broken-down car or something wrong with a house, he’d get it taken care of. He always tried to help people have a better quality of life.
“He was a great family man, too. He loved his family. It really broke my heart (when he got sick). We had a bond. We helped a lot of people in a very quiet way.”
Erin Clifford, executive assistant to the Belleville mayor
Clifford began working for the city in 2008 and then worked with Eckert as executive assistant for 11 years, from 2010 to 2021. She remains in this position with Mayor Patty Gregory.
“I am deeply sorry to hear of our former Mayor Mark Eckert’s passing. Words cannot express my sorrow for Mark’s wife, Rita, and his lovely family. They are all in my thoughts and prayers.
“Mark was a wonderful boss and a good friend. He was known for his unconditional love for his family and the City of Belleville. Mark was a devoted leader. He worked tirelessly with his staff, elected officials, and countless agencies for the betterment of our city. Mark had a profound commitment to our community. He stressed the importance of being a community of character, building relationships, and volunteerism. Above all, Mark had a great passion for helping others. He touched the lives of so many people. Mark Eckert was a true public servant.”
Mike Lundy, SWIDA director and former city treasurer
Lundy was Belleville’s city treasurer when Eckert became Ward 5 alderman in 1997. They continued to work together after Eckert was appointed mayor in 2004 and Lundy left to serve as executive director of the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority. Notable projects included the redevelopment of downtown Belleville, the transformation of the old Meredith Home into Lofts on the Square and early planning for the former Lindenwood University-Belleville after it closed.
“He was all about Belleville. He got up early in the morning, and he would drive by street projects. He was kind of the guardian of the city. He was always checking on things and trying to make improvements.
“You knew where you stood with Mark, and when you’re working on a project, you need to know, either you’ve got someone’s support or you don’t. ... He was just a good man, and he meant well. He was always promoting Belleville, and that’s what you want in a leader.”
Mark Kupsky, mayor of Fairview Heights
Kupsky worked with Eckert on local, regional and state issues, both in his role as mayor and Eckert’s service with the Southwestern Illinois Council of Mayors and in his role as president of Illinois Municipal League. Kupsky, who will become president of the Illinois Municipal League in September, credited Eckert for supporting him in his nomination.
“I’ll always have fond memories of Mark. He was a big supporter of mine and, together with other local mayors, I think we were able to accomplish things that were good for the metro area.”
“My sincerest thoughts go out to Rita, his children and his grandchildren. It’s a very tragic loss of a great individual ... especially since he was given such a short time from when he learned about his disease until his passing. I had an opportunity to have lunch with him in March along with Rita and the mayor of Vandalia. We had a nice lunch, reflected on things we’ve done to help the area and what our roles were like as mayor. He made significant contributions to the city of Belleville.”
Mike Leopold, mayor of Swansea
“Mark was a good friend and probably was 24/7 the mayor of Belleville. Every minute, he spent doing something for the city of Belleville. He was a nice guy and a friend to a lot of people. He certainly will be greatly missed. He was always eager and willing to work with any of the other mayors in the area.
“It’s just a sad day for the city of Belleville and a sad day for all the friends and family who knew Mark.”
Herb Roach, mayor of O’Fallon
“I knew Mark and really appreciated Mark. Before I ran for mayor, there were four different mayors I sat down to talk to try to get an understanding and get some questions answered as to the responsibilities of being a mayor, and Mark was one of them. And he shared his time and shared his experiences, and I was so appreciative of that. And his leadership on the Illinois Municipal Board, he did so well representing the communities across the state.
“There was only thing that he probably spoke more of than the city of Belleville and that was his family — he loved his family tremendously. He was a very good ambassador for the city of Belleville.”
Dave Pusa Sr., fellow volunteer and former alderman
Retired electrician Dave Pusa Sr. met Eckert in the early 1990s, when Eckert recruited him to volunteer on a home-renovation project and later a community center for Franklin Neighborhood Community Association. Eckert appointed him as Ward 2 alderman in 2020 to finish the term of wife Jane Pusa, who died of brain cancer. Both were good friends of Eckert.
“I liked Mark. He was just a nice guy. When he became mayor, we didn’t see him as much because he was busy working. We would eat with him once in a while, and we enjoyed our time with him. ... He never got mad at anybody. If they were smarting off, he would let it go. He was good to people. If they got upset about something, he was pretty good at cooling them back down.”
Brad Cole, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League
Cole worked closely with Eckert, who served on the Illinois Municipal League board before he was elected president for the 2017-18 term. They tackled everything from pension reform to legislative issues and became good friends in the process. Cole called him “highly respected and greatly liked” by officials throughout the state.
“(His main goal) was protecting communities and trying to make sure local voices were heard so that we could make local decisions. He was an advocate for solving problems locally, and he had the demeanor that allowed for those conversations when they got difficult. His personality helped bring people together. ... (Eckert invited 50 mayors to Belleville for a meeting), and it was all about showing them the great things that were happening in Belleville. He was an ambassador for the city.”
Ken Kinsella, former Belleville alderman
Kinsella served as Ward 1 alderman for 12 years during Eckert’s administration, and his posts included chairman of the Finance Committee. Kinsella said he often heard Eckert say that he was working on something because “It’s the right thing to do.”
Kinsella, who was a member of the former Good Government Party with Eckert, gave this example: He was driving around the city with Eckert one day and they were outside of Kinsella’s ward. Eckert had said he was planning a roadwork project in the ward and Kinsella noted there wasn’t a party candidate running in that ward. And that’s when Eckert said the project was going to be funded because, “It’s the right thing to do.”
And Kinsella agreed.
“He was a very moral man,” Kinsella said. “He was a reliable man. He’s very ethical and he’s a man of integrity.”
Dennis Korte, longtime friend and fellow ROMEO Club member
Korte took Eckert out on his first ambulance run in the 1970s, when they worked at the former Pete Gaerdner Funeral Home. Both entered public service, Korte as a Belleville Township board member and supervisor and Eckert as an alderman and mayor.
Recently, Korte and Eckert were members of the ROMEO (Retired Old Men who Eat Out) Club, which met for breakfast at Denny’s on Saturday mornings, along with Ken Kinsella, Mike Heisler, Joe Hazel and Dave Pusa.
“I’ve known Mark for years. I knew his mom and dad. I knew the whole family. I think he meant a lot to the city of Belleville. He did a lot for the city of Belleville, and he definitely had the city at heart. He was just a wonderful person.”
