Ecklund Chosen as Starter for 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Hopatcong resident Peter Ecklund has been named Parade Starter for next month’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Morris County. The role is both an honor and a key component of the parade, which steps off at noon on Saturday, March 14 in Morristown.

As the Starter, Ecklund will open the event by cutting a green ribbon at the head of the parade route. This will clear the way for more than 110 groups to march down South Street, delighting an expected crowd of between 50,000 and 70,000 spectators.

“I feel privileged to be this year’s Starter,” Ecklund said. “I couldn’t believe it when I got the call. I was shocked. And then I told my wife and she couldn’t believe it, either. It’s a great honor for me.”

Ecklund was chosen in recognition of his engagement with the Irish American community and other volunteer activities. He served the parade in various roles from 2006 to 2020, including six years as trustee; eight as treasurer; and three as chair of the Grand Marshal Selection Committee.

As treasurer, Ecklund applied decades of financial experience as a bank examiner and case manager for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in New York. His specialties included anti-fraud and money-laundering investigations in a career that spanned 34 years.

“Pete’s dedication to the parade — and particularly his contributions as treasurer — made him an obvious choice to be the Starter,” said Artie Flinn, president of the parade’s Board of Trustees. “His expert bookkeeping and financial controls played a crucial part in the parade’s success for many years.”

Ecklund’s Irish roots run deep. He was born Peter Anthony O’Neil in Dorchester, Mass. and was subsequently adopted by the Ecklund family. Years later, he learned from his birth mother that his grandparents emigrated from County Galway.

He married Margaret Mary O’Shea, an immigrant from County Kerry, less than a year after they met. Five decades later, they’ve welcomed three sons and six grandchildren, one of whom, Jack, is a competitive dancer with Heritage Irish Dance Company.

“Jack’s parents took him to the Morristown parade when he was young,” Ecklund recalled. “When he saw the Irish dancers going by, he said, ‘I want to do that.’ Now he’s danced at several world championships.”

In addition to volunteering with the parade, Ecklund is a member of the Irish American Association of Northwest Jersey, Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Morris County, and Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Yet his community engagement extends far beyond Irish America. He was a member of the Hopatcong school board from 1981 to 1990, when he standardized the accounting system and worked to introduce computers into the district. And he served on the Hopatcong planning board from 2004 to 2007, including roles as Vice Chairperson and Chairperson.

He currently devotes his time to Knights of Columbus Council #9914 – St Jude Hopatcong, where he serves as a trustee.

Ecklund’s emphasis on volunteerism complements this year’s Grand Marshal, Mike Bannon, who also has a long history of supporting worthy causes. The pair, Bannon said, make a great team.

“At various times in our lives, all of us have been helped by people we didn’t even know,” Bannon said. “Pete understands that. He’s a good man, and he’s going to make a great Starter for our parade.”

Staying active is key, according to Ecklund, a Vietnam-era veteran of the U.S. Army. “I’m not going to join an organization if I’m not going to do anything,” he said. “I’m not going to just sit there and vegetate.”

Still, he recognizes that new blood is necessary to secure a successful future for community groups.

“You need younger people taking over these positions,” he said. “Most of the people I know are in their 70s and 80s. You have to make room for the next generation to pick up where we left off and move forward with new ideas.”