Robert EickelLANCASTER: Robert Eickel, 83, after a life well lived, died peacefully on January 15, 2017, at Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster, Ohio. Bob was born on October 30, 1933, in Corning, Ohio. His parents were Hazel (Love) and Fritz Eickel, and he was soon joined by his sisters, Bernice and Mona. After Bob graduated from Corning High School in 1951, he joined the Navy and served in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska during the Korean War. He maintained a romantic letter-writing relationship with Evelyn Joan Gilliland, whom he met at the Morgan County fair. Three life-changing events happened to Bob after he left the Navy in 1954: he entered Ohio State University; he married Joan on June 12, 1955; and their daughter Nancy was born in 1956. Their son Jay was born in 1960.His lifelong career as an educator and coach began at Whetstone High School in Galion, Ohio (1957-59) and continued at New Lexington High School (1959-63) before he and his family moved north to Elmore. There he taught history and coached football and basketball at Harris-Elmore High School and then at Woodmore High School from 1963 until he retired in 1995. Later in his career Bob served as principal and then as assistant superintendent of Woodmore. He continued to work at Woodmore as a substitute teacher after he retired. An avid Buckeye and Red Sox fan, Bob graduated from Ohio State in 1957 and earned a master's degree from OSU in 1965. He remained active in teacher and community organizations, including Kiwanis, and was a member of St. Paul Trinity UMC in Elmore. Bob was most proud of the many years he served on the Elmore town council. In addition to his family, the great joys of his life were "reading, teaching, winning, music, Dr. Pepper, and pie."Bob is survived by his daughter Nancy Eickel of Washington, DC; granddaughters Laura Cohen of San Francisco and Anne Cohen of Denver; sister Bernice Deime and brother-in-law Dale Laughlin, both of Lancaster, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is predeceased by his wife Joan, infant son Robert Jr., son Jay, son-in-law David Cohen, sister Mona Laughlin, brother-in-law Bill Deime, parents Hazel and Fritz Eickel, and parents-in-law Dorothy and Dale Gilliland. Coach Eickel will be warmly remembered by family, friends, neighbors, and generations of people whose lives he touched in the classroom and through sports. At his request, he was cremated, and his ashes will be interred in McConnellsville, Ohio. A memorial service will be held probably in the autumn, his favorite time of year.