Eric D. Lacewell was born on October 21, 1963, in Bladen County, North Carolina. Eric met Sheila Faison in 1986, and they dated for over a year while he was starting his dream job as a firefighter with the Wilmington Fire Department in 1987. In 1988, Eric asked Sheila to marry him. They raised four children in Delco, North Carolina, Tekina (oldest), Kiyanda & Kiyentl (twins), and Eric Jr. (youngest), who are all doing well.

Eric worked his way up the ranks from engineer to captain. Eric was a family man who enjoyed family vacations, family reunions, and get togethers. Eric enjoyed helping the community of East Arcadia, North Carolina, where he grew up, and his current community in which he lived. Eric became president of the Delco community, helping with different events such as parades and raffles.

Eric was a God-fearing man who loved the Lord and was not afraid to show it. He served on the usher board of his home church, Graham’s Chapel. If you ever did him wrong, he wouldn’t hold that against you. He was a calm, friendly, easygoing man who never met a stranger. That man loved to talk and would talk like he knew you for years. His coworkers would often call him “Smiley,” because he would always have this huge smile on his face. If there was anything going on in the community, he was there to lend a helping hand. His favorite saying was “OH YEAH.”

Eric served as president to the Wilmington chapter of the Professional Black Firefighters Association and participated in their different functions in different states. He was head of United Way in Wilmington, North Carolina, and often participated in their chili cookoffs to raise money. He loved to cook and was good at it. He worked with the youth for Street Safe and spoke at schools, educating them on fire safety, as well as checking smoke detectors for the elderly in the community. He received many awards for his hard work and dedication to the Wilmington Fire Department.

On March 31, 2011, at 2 a.m., Mrs. Lacewell received a call from the fire department that Captain Lacewell had fallen and was found on the kitchen floor at the fire house. That fall ended his dream job as a fireman. He became quadriplegic and passed away on November 4, 2014, due to complications of his condition.

To know Eric was to love him, and we miss him dearly.