Obituary of Eric J. Hatch

Dr. Eric Jordan Hatch, born June 17, 1943, died at the age of 66 on August 29, 2009, in Watauga County, North Carolina. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Hatch and Mary Hatch. He is survived by his wife Carole of Boone, North Carolina; brother David Hatch of Milford, Connecticut; three children, Matthew Hatch, Douglas Hatch and wife Tara McGrath, and Katie Hatch; and one grandson, Liam Hatch. Dr. Hatch grew up in Belleville, New Jersey, and went to college at Montclair State University, receiving a B.S. degree in Secondary Education. He went on to receive his Masters and Doctorate degrees in School Psychology from Penn State. A life long baseball fanatic, he played ball in college and in 1965 he was recognized in the New York Times as having the second lowest earned run average among pitchers in his college division. Dr. Hatch was a fixture on the Boone golf course, where he spent countless hours golfing and making new friends. His love of baseball and golf was surpassed only by his love of his family. He was a direct descendent of Josiah Hornblower, a founder of the town of Belleville, a member of the First Continental Congress, and a signator of the U. S. Constitution. Dr. Hatch was a tenured professor of psychology at Appalachian State University, where he taught for 30 years. A Celebration of Life For Dr. Eric Jordan Hatch will be held beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 3rd at the Fairway Cafe' (Boone Golf Course) 433 Fairway Drive. Memorials may be made to the Eric Hatch Memorial Scholarship Fund, C/O ASU, PO Box 32014, Boone, NC 28608.