Hail and Farewell: Joe McEachron

I lost my ‘pal Joey’ this year —far too early in his life well lived. As the year ends, we see so many fond remembrances of those heroes past — famous ones, of course. But to those thousands of students, teachers, and friends, Joe will be sorely missed. And that is an understatement.

Joe and I worked at Mt. Carmel High School for 30+ years. Joe was Captain Radical to some, but he was no ordinary Joe to me. It’s hard to remember exactly when Joe and I joined forces as members of the Union to fight for and win concessions for wages and conditions. It’s just one day we looked at each other and said ,”We gotta piss some folks off; so much so they stop assuming we will just go along with the status quo (that was my language Joe…not so polite). So we did. He was the bad cop and I was the good one. And, boy did we piss some folks off. I remember telling one particular administrator at the District Office — you better take some action because there is no telling what Joe’ll do — some crazy stuff. 

Then he went to the Union office and still fought for teachers — except now he wore fancy clothes and cursed a little less — a little. I saw him less, but when I did it was just magic. Here was a guy who carried the world on his shoulders- a large family, a lovely wife and the adoration of 200+ kids a years who just called him JOE. 

He stood with the underdog, the nerds, the bandos, the kids who liked “Glee” — and every sport you could imagine. He was a ‘community organizer’ before Obama. He organized the unforgettable Mt. Carmel ‘Ride and Run’ —(those were the days when we could still run) and the wild after party. I’m sure just mentioning it will make those who we involved smile at the memories. 

He hung out with everyone. Tretter and Johnson. The coaches. The English department even. (Though Joe professed that English was the silly stuff…math, now that’s really what matters). Funny thing was that when Joe was asked by a student why they had to take so and so course in math, Joe never bullshitted them. “Because you gotta. It’s a damn hoop ya gotta jump through. Sorry.”

I used to run with him…then walk with him…then just sit around and talk with him. But the hardest hand most poignant talk came at his hospital bedside when it was clear that he was facing something he and I never thought could happen to someone so young and so fit. I did most of the talkin’ and Joe struggled to breathe. I told him I represented all of Mt. Carmel past and present who were pulling for him. He smiled and said the only thing he had the strength to force out: “I can’t thank you enough for coming to see me.”

There are certain sentences that stick with you your whole life. 

Joe, I can’t thank you enough for coming to all of us. God Bless.