Honoring their friend and classmate
Col. (Ret.) Leonard "Lucky" Ekman '63 and his spouse, Kaye, grew up in Army families. The Army connection, however, did not stop Col. Ekman from attending the U.S. Air Force Academy to pursue his dream of becoming a fighter pilot. Now, 65 years later, he and Kaye are honoring their friends Dr. Bill '63 and Mary Linn Wecker. The Ekmans are helping to fund the construction of Wecker Hall, the new Air Force Academy Foundation headquarters, which will house the combined Association of Graduates and Foundation staff.
Col. Ekman, a 2021 Distinguished Graduate, completed pilot training at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona, earning his wings flying the T-37 and T-38. He soon amassed thousands of combat hours flying strike and Wild Weasel missions. Col. Ekman became one of the Vietnam War's most highly decorated F-105 pilots, flying 350 missions. During one of these missions, his aircraft was shot down, resulting in Col. Ekman being awarded two Silver Stars. Around this time, he met Kaye, who was pursuing a career as an educator. They were married in 1968.
After earning his master's degree as an Olmsted Scholar in Switzerland, Col. Ekman returned to Vietnam for a third time. Meanwhile, Kaye nurtured their growing family, which now comprised their three boys. Next, they returned to the Academy where Col. Ekman taught political science, instructed soaring and served as an Air Officer Commanding. During their time at the Academy, they welcomed a daughter, Katie.
The Ekmans' military travels took the six of them around the world. Col. Ekman's career included serving as a commander at George Air Force Base in California; the Air Force section chief in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; commander of the air-to-air weapons evaluation group in Florida; and vice commander of the 16th Air Force in Spain.
Col. Ekman continued to fly in the F-4, F-5 and F-16. He also enjoyed flying the family sailplane. Meanwhile, Kaye continued to care for their family and earned her Ph.D. in counseling. Her research and dissertation helped produce what is now known as the Airmen & Family Readiness Program.
After retirement, Col. Ekman joined his classmate Harry Snow's company to assist with C-130 short takeoff and landing modifications. He ran the flight test program and flew chase in his HA 200 jet. Throughout, Kaye supported his endeavors and continued to contribute as an educator.
Col. Ekman credits Kaye for how their family flourished. "Our kids are our joy, and they continue to inspire us - it's what life is all about. Kaye and I are so proud of their accomplishments," he says. Two of their children are USAFA graduates: Ken '91 and Katie '96. Their son, Kit, is a Harvard and Harvard Law graduate, and their adopted son, Kevin, graduated from Haney Technical College. The Ekmans' independent children declined any generational flow of assets, helping enable their parents' philanthropic efforts.
While living near Tyndall Air Force Base, where Col. Ekman had commanded the weapons evaluation group, the Ekmans purchased a second home in the mountains of southern New Mexico.
"It was a nice place to relax away from Florida's heat, and we had many good family times there. But as we reached our 80s, we found we were using it less and less," Col. Ekman says. "At Kaye's urging, we decided to move forward with bequeathing this vacation property to help fund the construction of Wecker Hall and Yost Plaza and provide a fitting home for our AOG and Foundation staff."
The Ekmans donated the property to the Air Force Academy Real Estate Trust, designating it for Wecker Hall. They also managed the preparation and listing of the sale to maximize the transfer of resources to the Foundation, minimize the Trust's out-of-town responsibilities, and optimize their tax deduction. Wecker Hall - named for its principal donors, Dr. Bill '63 and Mary Linn Wecker - is being built adjacent to Doolittle.
"This is not just a donation of our beautiful mountain home," says Kaye Ekman. "I view it as payment on an IOU for three top-quality educations and starts to great careers for Lucky, Ken, and Katie."
The Real Estate Trust can accept many forms of real property. Information is available from the Foundation's Office of Gift Planning. Contact Dale Zschoche P'10 at [email protected].