Around the Valley: John Ebling was an ‘unsung hero’ for the Reed family

John Ebling was Andre Reeds stepfather, and no one was happier on the day that the former Dieruff High, Kutztown University and Buffalo Bills star was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2014.On the day of the induction ceremony, Canton, Ohio, hosts a parade that is filled with Hall of Famers, NFL celebrities, bands, and representatives from that years inductees.The Dieruff band and ROTC participated in Reeds parade, but so did Ebling.

He walked down the entire parade route, following Reeds float and the Dieruff band, beaming with pride with each step.Lets go Buffalo! he shouted periodically as he embraced Bills and Andre Reed fans.It was a long walk on a hot day, but Ebling, who had more energy than people half his age, didnt mind.It was that same energy that he brought to the Reed family and various charity projects with which the family became involved.He married Joyce, who lost her husband, Calvin, in 1996 at the age of 52, more than 19 years ago.Ebling had four kids from previous marriages, and Joyce and Calvin had four children sons Andre, Tyrone, and Dion and daughter Teshia.Its never easy to make a blended family work, but John made sure he fit in with the Reeds as best as he could.

Most importantly, he made sure his wife, Joyce, kept going strong through her 60s, 70s, and into her 80s.

She celebrated her 80th birthday last spring.Sadly, she lost her Energizer Bunny of a partner this past weekend.

John Ebling died early Saturday morning at St.

Lukes in Fountain Hill after a brief health battle.

He was 87.He took care of me like no man ever took care of a woman, Joyce Reed-Ebling said on Tuesday.

He loved me so and I loved him.

We did everything together and he kept me going.

So, I really dont know what I am going to do without him.The two were inseparable, particularly when it came to volunteerism and great causes.

They were also big sports fans, attending as many high school games as possible, particularly basketball and softball.

Their love of sports stretched to Kutztown University and Kutztown High School.In 2023, John and Joyce were recognized as unsung heroes by Lehigh Countys Office of Aging and Adult Services.Deborah Fries-Jackson of the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown made the presentation.She said: Joyce and John have volunteered at numerous organizations for decades, including the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown, the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, the Andre Reed Foundation, the Dieruff High School Alumni Association, the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley, and the Bills Backers Lehigh Valley Chapter.When they married, they became the dynamic Batman and Robin duo, searching throughout the community to find ways they could volunteer, often together, and invest their time to help youth in need.

Joyce volunteered at the Salvation Army for more than 25 years, and helped to organize the Christmas Angel Tree program.

Joyce created the tags for the childrens wishes and helped to distribute them to local businesses.

And then John and Joyce would get in their Batmobile and get the gifts ready for distribution.Ebling also loved helping out at the annual Andre Reed Foundation Golf Tournament, doing whatever he could to help make the event go smoothly.This years golf tournament is set for June 23 at Woodstone Country Club, and Eblings passing will be recognized in some way and his upbeat, full-of-life personality that permeated the golf course each year will be missed.As of Tuesday, no funeral arrangements had been announced.DeVivo Scholarship winnerMegan Possinger of East Stroudsburg South won the Joseph V.

DeVivo Memorial Scholarship.

The $1,000 scholarship award is presented annually at the Cavaliers senior awards ceremony.

Possinger is a member of the National Honor Society and played field hockey and softball, and was a team captain in both sports.

She intends to major in early childhood education at Eastern University.Founded in 2012, the scholarship honors a student who shared DeVivos passion for education.DeVivo was a longtime teacher, particularly working with fourth-grade kids at the J.M.

Hill School in East Stroudsburg.ESUs softball successWhile the East Stroudsburg University baseball team has created a stir, reaching the NCAA Division II World Series in Cary, North Carolina, with numerous local players leading the way, the ESU softball team also had a spring to remember.The Warriors, coached by Saucon Valley grad and Lehigh Valley Softball Hall of Famer Jamie Wohlbach, went 48-12-1 overall and 26-5-1 to win the PSAC championship.

They reached the NCAA Atlantic Regionals before losing twice to Shippensburg.Emmaus High graduate Tatum Kresley, a senior who began her career at the University of Maryland, was a big part of the teams success, batting .408 with 63 runs scored, 24 RBIs, and 16 extra-base hits.Riding it outPalmerton graduate Zach Silfies had a remarkable career as a college pitcher, starting at Elizabethtown and finishing it this spring at Rider University, where he helped the Broncos reach the MAAC championship game, where they lost to Fairfield.Silfies, whose father, Tim, is a Dieruff High graduate, went 4-2 with nine saves and recorded 39 strikeouts in 40 innings.At E-town in 2024, Silfies went 8-1 with six saves and struck out 67 in 53 innings.In 2023, he was 2-4 with seven saves and a 3.29 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 68 innings..

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