Eric Thomas Calnen

CALNEN, Eric Thomas, (aka “Needles”) died unexpectedly on December 30, 2022 at his residence. He was only 72 years old. Family and friends are saddened and shocked to learn of his passing because he left a lasting impression on everyone he met.

Eric was born on January 11,1950 to the late Joseph and Nellie Calnen (née Thomas) in White’s Lake, NS, although he spent the majority of his life in Spryfield, Nova Scotia.

Eric will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 48 years, Sharon (née Wile) and his daughters, Shauna David (Ghislain) and Sara Rudolph (Steven). He will be forever cherished and remembered by his three grandchildren, Zachary, Kaitlyn, and Matthew. He is also survived by his only sister Brenda Bennett (Ken), mother-in-law Elsie, sister-in-law Pam, and brother-in-law Bruce. Eric was predeceased by his parents and his father-in-law, Russell Wile.

Eric touched many lives during his 72 years including those of his three nephews, Kenny Jr, Jeff, and Mark, and his numerous baseball teammates who he thought of as brothers. Needles’ memory will live on with them.

After graduating from BC Silver High School in 1968, Eric took a Mechanical Drafting course from Halifax Vocational School. He worked for a few private firms before his employment at NS Power Corporation where he spent many years employed as a draftsperson. Eric drove taxi for over 25 years before he retired in 2020. Eric enjoyed driving taxi because of the people he met, whether it be chatting with his passengers during their daily commute or providing tourists the history of Halifax during his famous Peggy’s Cove tours.

Eric was an avid traveller. He enjoyed learning about new destinations and visiting them. He instilled his love and desire for travel in his children. His favorite place was Reddington Shores, Florida where he spent most winters for the past 20+ years. He met many friends there. He loved the hot sun on his face and a cold beer in his hand.

Eric had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He often spent his spare time researching topics of interest or reading books and newspapers. Every night, wherever he was, he watched the evening news and played Jeopardy from the sofa. He was a Trivia Pursuit and Jeopardy champion who knew something about everything. Eric put a high value on education who encouraged his children to be lifelong learners and to never stop asking “why?”

Besides his wife and girls, Eric’s TRUE LOVE was baseball. He was interested in other sports too, like golf and hockey (although he gave up on his Maple Leafs), but BASEBALL is what ran through his veins. From Spryfield little league, to spending his prime years representing Halifax at tournaments all over the Maritimes, to finally playing with the Old Timer leagues, he was a legend on third base. One team he was especially proud of was the NS Monarchs. Eric was also passionate about collecting and trading baseball cards since he was a child.

There are no words to express how grateful we are to family, friends, neighbors, and first responders who were there for us on the day of his passing and during the difficult days that followed.

Eric’s legacy will carry on forever reminding us all to be good to each other and to enjoy the small moments with our loved ones while we still can.

A service to celebrate Eric’s life will be held at 2:00pm on Sunday January 8, 2023 at JA Snow Funeral Home, 339 Lacewood Drive in Halifax, with a catered reception to follow. All friends are welcome to attend. In addition, friends are invited to gather at the Capital Sports Bar after the reception at Snow’s to give a final “toast to Needles”.

The interment will take place at 10:00am on Monday January 9, 2023 at Fairview Cemetery, 3720 Windsor Street in Halifax, for close family members only.

In lieu of flowers, the one thing that would mean the most to Eric would be to encourage and support young baseball players to get on the field and play hard. Memorial donations can be made in Eric’s name to Halifax Minor Baseball – KidSportCanada.ca/Nova-Scotia/Halifax-Regional-Municipality/donate which helps cover financial costs for youth in need to participate in the sport they love.