Posts
Noteworthy News
Elena Arnold
posted over 1 year ago
I was feeling pretty down tonight after reading the obituary for Jim Whitford. If you are newer to the pickleball scene, I posted a couple of weeks ago about long time player Jim and his impact on many of us. I won't go into as much detail again, but feel free to read more about Jim in my previous post. I will, however, share Jim's obituary for his many friends. Click here to read. There will be no calling hours observed at this time. Please keep Jim's wife of 60 YEARS, Barbara, and the rest of his family close to your heart during this difficult time.
I then watched John Last's Erie News Now segment "The Last Laugh", which aired tonight. It was all about the morning pickleball crew who plays at the Church of the Cross, 5901 Millfair Road. What a fun and uplifting story! EPPA member Don Wolfe opens those doors every weekday and let me tell you, the players appreciation shines when they hit the courts. People of all ability levels come together to compete and enjoy each others company.
I played MANY games with Jim at Church of the Cross and every time I step through those doors, I will remember him. Jim was 83 years old, yet he showed up early to assemble nets and stayed late to tear them down. In October, he drove an hour away to watch and cheer on some of us in a tournament at the Lakewood YMCA. In December, I asked him to play in the 70+ bracket the morning of the shootout because another player got sick- and he did. Jim will never be forgotten.
Janie Martin, a longtime EPPA supporter, reached out to me when she heard about Jim. Janie is going through her own health struggles and greatly appreciates the support from our community. She said it best when we were texting about Jim: "What an incredible amount of fun, wonderful people we've met... Really all because of a little yellow whiffle ball."
I then watched John Last's Erie News Now segment "The Last Laugh", which aired tonight. It was all about the morning pickleball crew who plays at the Church of the Cross, 5901 Millfair Road. What a fun and uplifting story! EPPA member Don Wolfe opens those doors every weekday and let me tell you, the players appreciation shines when they hit the courts. People of all ability levels come together to compete and enjoy each others company.
I played MANY games with Jim at Church of the Cross and every time I step through those doors, I will remember him. Jim was 83 years old, yet he showed up early to assemble nets and stayed late to tear them down. In October, he drove an hour away to watch and cheer on some of us in a tournament at the Lakewood YMCA. In December, I asked him to play in the 70+ bracket the morning of the shootout because another player got sick- and he did. Jim will never be forgotten.
Janie Martin, a longtime EPPA supporter, reached out to me when she heard about Jim. Janie is going through her own health struggles and greatly appreciates the support from our community. She said it best when we were texting about Jim: "What an incredible amount of fun, wonderful people we've met... Really all because of a little yellow whiffle ball."