Eric Paul Scites
Eric Paul Scites
Eric Paul Scites, 60, was called home to the Lord on March 4, 2023. Eric is survived by his wife Susan (Danner) Scites, his son Corwin “Cory” Scites, and his daughter Virginia “Ginny” Scites, that’s me.
Eric was born on May 26, 1962, in Pomeroy, Ohio, to parents Kenneth “Jack” and Barbara (Scott) Scites, and older brother Timothy Scites. Eric grew up in Meigs County, Ohio, and met his high school sweetheart during that time. As my mom tells it: “The first time I saw him, he was on the football field playing the trumpet solo. I asked the group of friends I was with who the guy was playing the trumpet, and they responded ‘That’s Eric Scites, you should stay away from him.'” Against the advice of family and friends, they were married on May 12, 1984, and spent 38 years together.
After serving in the US Army, he returned to Ohio, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Opera Performance from the Ohio State University, as well as a minor degree in Jazz Trumpet. From there, he went on to turn our small family into its very own traveling circus, Faire Wynds Historical Entertainment, which is what he was most known for.
In addition to husband and father, my dad held many titles in his life. Opera singer, actor, fire breather, magician, writer, glass harp player, “The Talent”, the trumpet player, that loud guy in the triangle costume, and many, many more. He’s been known to be jovial, funny, grumpy, sarcastic, crotchety, and entertaining all at once. From small children to elderly individuals, he could keep any one captivated with something as simple as a deck of cards or a single glass of water. His main purpose behind what he did can be found in Hebrews 13:2. “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
My dad had an incredibly dry and sarcastic sense of humor, which often left my mom rolling her eyes. It’s a miracle they could even point straight after 38 years married to the man. He was not quiet by any means, and could be heard hawking his shows at fairgrounds and historical sites far and wide. That’s how most knew him, but to the few of us lucky to know him closely, he was a quiet and contemplative man. He loved nature, and getting out for a bike ride or a hike, and spending lots of quiet time alone with God in his creation. His favorite time of year was Christmas time, and he loved all the music that accompanied it. Many times through the years I have called home from somewhere in the world, often during the summer season, only to hear Christmas music playing on the speakers in the background. He was unapologetically amused by my distaste, but staunchly stood by his choices.
My dad was not afraid of death in any capacity. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that his relationship with the Lord was rock solid, and he would rest in the eternal home that was prepared for us. He spoke often to us of the blessed hope, and keeping with Titus 2:13, he was “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” His most frequently referenced scripture, to me, was a verse by the Apostle Peter to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you.” To my brother, on the other hand, he most frequently quoted, “You gotta be a friend to make a friend”, which we later learned was loosely paraphrased by our mom from Proverbs 18:24. Circling back, my dad had hope. And given the amount of hope he had, has solidified our own as well. We can grieve as we should, but we all must remember that someday not too far from now, we will all be together again in Glory. With Dad.
We will be holding a Celebration of Life ceremony on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, at 12:00pm. It will be held at the First Baptist Church located at 1100 4th Avenue, Gallipolis, Ohio. A meal will be provided, and all are welcome. Come as you are, as my dad hated to wear dress pants.
In lieu of flowers, my mom, brother, and myself would ask that a donation be made in Dad’s memory to Parson John Living History Inc. Please go to travelingchurch.org/support to donate. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
