From John Gilbert's blog http://wyzardways.blogspot.it/ I called David Ecker the Gate Keeper because it was the vigilance of his vivid consciousness that kept our efforts true and honest to the integrity of pure inquiry as the nature of experience. He was such a splendid advocate for phenomenology, because it was central to all that guided his actions and interactions. When people first met David, they expected him to explain "Phenomenology". He always refused, but not directly. He would just smile and proceed to have us learn through engaging in inquiry and description of specific encounters with works of art. He taught by example much more than by lecture. Sitting in on his "experiments" was always such a revealing process because he helped us uncover our direct perceptions, edit out the garbage, and emerge with a deeper sense of our experience.
From Ochekukwu Odita: My out pouring grief to learn about the passing of David Ecker is boundless. I can't just control myself. David lived as a kind, loving and intelligent scholar. His image in the pages of history for those who know him well will not change and the memory of his stature for them will live on forever.