by John Mooy
I learned this morning of the passing of a lifelong friend, neighbor and one time teammate on the basketball team at MHS, Eric Singley.
Eric conjures up a host of memories dating back to childhood. He grew up right across the street from the school and that positioned him to be in what I would call the northern part of our neighborhood “tribe.” It seemed we had an abundance of boys in the neighborhood and as a result we established strong bonds as friends. As I have often mentioned, Marcellus was such a great place to grow up and we were relatively free to wander the area.
From the study hall windows on the second floor of the old school building you could get a panoramic view of our entire neighborhood. Time was often spent at those windows gazing south and pointing out various events that had taken place in the neighborhood. You could also check the comings and goings of anyone at the Singley home. If I had heard it once I heard it many times that the Singleys had moved to Marcellus from Pekin, Illinois. It was our good fortune to have them in the community.
Eric could always be counted upon to take part in neighborhood actives which I must say on occasion were on the verge of what some would consider to be “trouble.” Nothing serious.
Eric spent a fair amount of time in sports having been a member of our teams. A good ballplayer and good teammate.
As we got into high school one of my most sterling memories is of Eric at dances after our basketball games. He was quite a figure on the floor as he had perfected his moves in a dance known as the Twist brought to us by Chubby Checker.
Following high school, Eric enlisted in the Navy and that was a perfect match for him as he had a keen sense of history. During his time in the Navy, he was involved with some historic events in our country’s history. Eric had a keen sense of what it meant for him to be a part of the Navy and the importance of what his contribution was as one member of a much larger team.
I recall listening to a presentation several years ago that Eric gave at the Marcellus Library during which time he presented through visuals and stories what his time was like during his Naval service. The presentation was both complete and interesting. My favorite story involved his detailed account about the splashdown and rescue of a space capsule while he was serving on the USS Hornet.
So, as I sit here recounting stories about Eric, I see him in my mind’s eye shooting layups at the old high school, “twisting again like we did last summer,” returning home on leave in his Naval uniform and laughing in that signature laugh of his.
Always when I saw Eric, he would give me the update on his Corvette.
I believe Eric’s life came to exemplify this quote by Robin Lee Graham.
At sea I learned how little a person needs, not how much.
Have a great week, Marcellus.
You’re the best.
###
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.