Wednesday, August 6, 2025
I’ve been contemplating how to summarize my cousin Warren’s legacy, at least from my personal point of view. There are many endearing stories about his meticulous habits and attention to details: sometimes archaic, sometimes cute, sometimes quirky, and, of course, sometimes quite significant. But I think there is another, more meaningful legacy at work here. Warren was a beacon in the grand Eddy tradition of reading, writing, and learning, not simply as an academic exercise, but as a life-long habit of enjoyment, improvement, and responsible citizenship. Our grandmother, Minnie (Beck) Eddy, was a school teacher; Warren’s mother was a school teacher; his father was a teacher and professor of English; Warren’s brother Bob was a history buff and learner; my parents, my brothers, and I were and are voracious readers; my daughter is a school teacher of reading and writing; and, to my wife’s constant chagrin, we follow in the Eddy tradition of living amongst countless books, magazines, and learning materials. There are high expectations in our family for reading comprehension and all forms of effective written expression. Additionally, most of us have a deep appreciation for the arts in general. We are a literary, musical, and artistic clan. To his lasting credit, Warren embodied and extended these high expectations in his role as the head librarian of the Cortland Free Library. Libraries are public resources for reading, listening, viewing, and, most importantly, learning. They provide public computer access and training. They conduct public learning programs of all shapes and sizes. Today, with so many of our public institutions under assault, the work of public librarians should be evermore cherished, respected, honored, and, most importantly, taken advantage of. The more I’ve thought about it, I believe Warren’s role in this priceless public service, his lifelong choice of good citizenship and community service, is his greatest and most far-reaching legacy. Good man!
Carl Eddy
