Eric Charles Singley

February 15, 1947 ~ July 1, 2025

Eric Charles Singley, 78, of Edwardsburg, Michigan, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on July 1, 2025. Eric was born February 15, 1947, in Pekin, Illinois.  His family relocated to Marcellus when he was four years old. He attended Marcellus Public Schools and, upon graduation, served four years in the United States Navy. On November 7, 1970, he married “his bride,” Judith (Powell) Singley, in the Marcellus United Methodist Church. He was a loving husband to Judy and a devoted father to his children, Derrick Singley and Jessica (Singley) Otis.  Eric enjoyed doting on his three grandchildren, Lucas and Adalynn Otis of Portage, MI, and Carson Singley of Edwardsburg, MI.

   In October of 1965, Eric reported to the U.S. Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Illinois.  After completing basic training, he then received schooling in communications in Norfolk, VA. His first duty station was Naval Communications Station, San Miguel, Philippines. From there, he reported to the USS Bennington CVS-20, and then he cross-decked to the USS Hornet CVS-12. He completed two consecutive WestPac tours off the coast of Vietnam. He was a communications Radioman and achieved the rank of CYN3 during his Naval career.  

   Eric trained for many months for the Apollo 11 moon landing mission because the event planners selected the USS Hornet as the Primary Recovery Vessel. He ran communications for the Apollo 11 splashdown on July 24, 1969. The ship’s motto for the event, ‘Hornet Plus Three,’ became a button that was exclusive to the crew. As President Nixon (a proud Navy man) left the Hornet that day, he congratulated the crew for a job well done, and a 19-year-old shipmate came to full attention, saluted, and said, “Yes, sir, We Are Hornet.” That’s the kind of dedication the ship exemplified, and Eric was extremely proud to be a part of it. In July of 2019, one of his happiest moments was taking his entire family to California, where the USS Hornet now sits as a museum, to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11.

   Eric was a proud Vietnam Veteran even when it was unpopular to be one. In his later years, he would seek out other Veterans, it didn’t matter what branch, he would always greet “a hat,” by saying, “Welcome Home.” In doing so, he would open up a conversation, allowing them to share their experiences and giving them both the recognition and respect they both deserved. 

   Eric earned many honors and awards. In 1993, he was inducted into the Marcellus Athletic Hall of Fame with the 1962-63 boys’ basketball team. During his Naval career, he received several letters of commendation for outstanding service in running communications off the coast of Vietnam. After serving in the Navy, Eric attended Southwestern Michigan College while working full-time at Miles Laboratories and became part of a Biotechnology team that received a patent for Thermal Stabilization of Alpha-Amylase in 1985.  

   Following in his Grandfather Gyllstrom’s footsteps, Eric was a hardworking craftsman who enjoyed working with his hands. Over the years, he remodeled three houses, built numerous hunting blinds, and refurbished his beloved 1981 Corvette.  

   Eric also loved spending time in the woods with his son and friends. His favorite pastimes were waterfowling, small game, and deer hunting. He also enjoyed fishing at local lakes and on Lake Michigan. On November 15, 2024, Eric beamed with joy when he got an enormous 12-point buck. 

   Eric kept busy and always had several new projects in mind. One of his proudest accomplishments was refurbishing his 1981 Corvette. He loved that car just as much as he loved his dog, Rosie. The Corvette even has a vanity plate that gives honor to The Gray Ghost (another name for the USS Hornet). During the 2020 pandemic, Eric and Judy would get in the Corvette and ride around for hours on near-empty roads, enjoying the car and the scenery. 

   Eric charmed all who met him. He was kindhearted and always had a joke ready to make you laugh. Eric was an incredible man who lived an extraordinary life. He will be forever loved and missed by all who knew him.

   The family invites you to the Marcellus United Methodist Church on July 19, 2025, for visitation from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., a memorial service at noon, and a luncheon to follow in the Fellowship Hall. The family also invites you to the internment with full military honors on November 7, 2025, at Bly Cemetery, Marcellus, at 2:00 p.m., followed by a tentative gathering at The Rock (more information to come later). In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the USS Hornet Air and Space Museum, P.O. Box 460, Alameda, CA  94501, or the Marcellus VFW Post 4054, P.O. Box 606, Marcellus, MI 49067.  

   Arrangements prepared by Paul E. Mayhew of Mayhew Funeral Home, Inc.  

Fair Winds and Following seas, shipmate, 
We have the Watch.

###