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Eddie’s Stories
Vignettes of Eddie's Childhood & Youth
Eddie's Stories Hero

Moments That Endured

As the son of an immigrant growing up poor during the Depression in Norfolk, Virginia, Eddie learned indelible lessons about hard work, ingenuity, standing up, keeping the faith, and giving back that defined his life and set the course for the way we do business and interact with our community. We are pleased to share this collection of stories from Eddie’s youth and a glimpse of the intriguing life he led.

Mother Rosa
Surprised and confused by unexplainable experiences in church, at home, and in the street, Eddie is admonished to keep quiet about the mystical lights that feed his sense of wonder and belief.
Anna
Riding high on first love, Eddie’s star is rising until a teacher takes exception to his name.
Manny and Eddie
Eddie moves to Ocean View, leaving behind old loves and amusements for new adventures and freedoms along the coast.
Manuel
After leaving school to help earn money for the family, Eddie gets a job in a motor shop and then on naval bases, learning both the joys and the limits of cold, hard cash.
Eddie Navy
Eddie works night and day with his father and friends on area bases in support of the war effort, but as each of his remaining brothers is drawn into WWII, he knows that he won't be satisfied until he joins them in the fight.
Eddie WWII
At sea with a hapless Captain, then stranded on an exotic island, and then tossed for days by a ruthless storm, Eddie confronts the choices he was making in his life before the war and the path forward he hopes to forge.