I was very sorry to learn of Louis' passing. He was a very good friend and we shared a lot of good times together particularly throughout middle and high school. We shared seven years of football together from Hightstown's first Pop Warner team and throughout high school. Besides football, we played hundreds of baseball and basketball games as well as pick-up hockey games on Peddie Lake when it was frozen. In 7th and 8th grade he always seemed to have a cast on his wrist. This never stopped him from playing and he would sink shot after shot from the top of the key (3-point range by today's standards) in game after game. He was a terrific athlete and we pushed and supported each other throughout. His competitive nature should always be admired.
I used to help him with his paper route over on 1st & 2nd Avenue so we could get more time to play. Poker game on Saturday night at my house - absolutely. Stay with us at the NJ shore for a few nights - sure. We'd play tackle football and run on the beach to get ready for September. He was probably one of the original employees at Al-Jon's. We always teasingly insisted he sit a few rows away from us at high school basketball games because his "Al-Jon's Cologne" made us hungry. Hunting on New Year's Day - can do. He was a doer! Plus, he was the classic "give it all you got; lay it all out there on the field" kind of guy. He was inspirational to me and to others. Living mostly outside of NJ over the last 50 years, newer Louie experiences are missing, but those earlier fond memories will always be cherished. God Bless. Sincerely, David Van Hise
