Pomeroy man celebrates 80th birthday with weekly basketball game

Ron Essing didn’t know his friends were spreading the word last week about his 80th birthday.
Essing arrived at Opportunity Living at noon on Tuesday, as he always does, for a pickup basketball game with a group of men in the 50s and 60s. His friends invited The Graphic-Advocate to stop by as a way of honoring Essing for both reaching the birthday milestone and for the active lifestyle he continues to lead.
Essing said he has played the sport about 65 years, including as a varsity player at Pomeroy High School. After graduation, he played softball into his 40s with the Pomeroy All Stars league. Tennis was another favorite sport, he said.
These days, he meets with friends to play at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
Read more in the June 22 edition.