Lucia Eck Kaiser Sinn

Lucia Eck Kaiser Sinn, age 90, died on September 13, 2025 in her home at Westminster Village in Terre Haute, Indiana. Lucia was born on July 24, 1935 in New York City, New York to Lois and George Eck, the youngest of four siblings. Lois was working as a singer in New York City, but with their family growing she and George, an accountant, returned to Indiana to Terre Haute near Lois's hometown of Clinton. One favorite childhood memory of Lucia, called Lucy, was visiting her Grandfather White’s farm in Clinton where she and her siblings and cousins would swim in the creek and play in the woods. Lucia earned a B.S. in home economics in 1957 from Purdue University, where she joined Chi Omega and was elected queen of the Midshipmen's Ball. She then moved to Chicago where she worked as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward and Carson Pirie Scott & Co. Later, she was a “Hotpoint Girl” who traveled to promote the company’s home appliances. In 1959 she married marketing and advertising executive Alan Kaiser of Chicago. They started a family in Evanston and Barrington, Illinois, then moved to Coral Gables, Florida in 1968, before returning to Terre Haute in 1971 where they raised three children. Lucia earned her MS in dietetics at Indiana State University then joined Union Hospital, where she was Director of Nutrition Services for over 26 years. She served as president of the local chapter of the American Heart Association and volunteered at Community Theater. She was later active with Tri Kappa. After a divorce, in 1988 Lucia married her beloved Melvin Duane Sinn, a Presbyterian minister. After retiring, she and Mel traveled through the United States, Europe, Costa Rica, and Mexico. They spent several winters in Jekyll Island, Georgia then for 17 years, on South Padre Island, Texas. Lucia often visited her son's family in Atlanta and her daughter in Washington, DC. Lucia loved to write and had short stories published in literary magazines. She edited her husband's memoir, "A Preacher Called Sinn," about his life as a pro-choice minister in the Midwest. She also wrote two crime novels. In her 80s she started a blog, Living Well After 80, where she shared her sharp observations on everything from the British royals to living through the COVID pandemic. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, bridge, mahjong, swimming, and tai chi. In her last years she became a fan of Wordle and ChatGPT. In 2024, she and Mel left their century-old house on Fruitridge Avenue for Westminster Village. Survivors include husband Mel, daughters Jocelyn Kaiser (Russell) and Mari Kaiser DeRyke (Steve), stepchildren Mark Sinn (Kathy), Mike Sinn (Eric), and Leiann Phillips (John), seven grandchildren, two step grandchildren, two great grandsons, and many nieces and nephews to whom she was a beloved aunt. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother George Eck, sisters Cecelia Eck Scott and Jane Eck Ortega, and her son, Dr. Alan B. Kaiser, Jr., MD. A memorial service will be held on a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wabash Activity Center. Cards can be sent to Mel at 1120 E. Davis Dr., Apt 738, Terre Haute, IN 47802.