Former Sheppard Staff and friends of Max have been helping Carol and Max during Max's difficult times with kidney and liver cancer through monetary donations. Below are links to thank you cards sent by Carol regarding those donations. Sept Dec Jan March Photos of Max Through the Years

Max at age 82 in Chesaw, Washington

Max Eckenburg spent his life enriching the lives of young people. Max was a member of the group of men who founded Mountain Rescue and Explorer Search and Rescue. He was instrumental in the design and construction of Camp Schurman, a rescue hut at 9300 feet on the north side of Mt. Rainier. Max was the first full time Ranger at Camp Sheppard where he started the Camp Sheppard High Adventure Program offering week-long hikes and climbs in Washington's Cascade Mountains. Max served at Camp Sheppard from 1963 to 1984.

"Provide the Challenge" was Max's guiding philosophy. Max believed in putting a real world challenge in front of a boy to give him the reason to develop his skills on the road to becoming a man. From 1965 to 1979 Camp Sheppard provided weeklong climbs and hikes for scouts of all ages, providing challenges for staff and scouts alike. By 1972 the program went National. Scouts from as far away as Georgia and Florida kick-stepped their way to the top of Mt. Rainier.

Retiring from Camp Sheppard in 1984 at the age of 68, Max moved to Chesaw, WA to 15 acres and the dream of a hand built log cabin. After 13 years he moved back to Camano Island in Western Washington.

Max was diagnosed to have cancer in his kidney and liver in the late spring of 2000. As of September 2000 he was undergoing chemotherapy. In February of 2001 he stopped the chemo treatments. He passed away at 7 in the morning on Friday, April 6, 2001 in his home with Carol.

Max was in the process of writing his memoirs, titled "Providing the Challenge". If you were on staff or participated on week-long trip, please share your memories and help create Max's book. Email Chuck Caley with your memories at ccaley@toledo.k12.wa.us.

If you were ever on staff or a trip, we would love to hear from you. Email Chuck Caley at ccaley@toledo.k12.wa.us

A work party helps Max and Carol build a fence at their new house on Camano Island in October of 1999. Left to right: Chuck Caley, Jon Wartes, Bill Rengstorf, George Uchida, Dave Weller, Max Eckenburg, Molly Weller, Bill Blunt, John Miner, Jim Macartney and Carol Hull.

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