By David Taylor / Managing Editor
On Saturday morning, nearly 200 family members, friends, church members, former players, coworkers and neighbors gathered at the North Shore Little League fields on Castlegory Road to honor the life and legacy of Louis Erebia, a longtime volunteer who spent decades helping maintain the fields even after his own children had aged out of the league.
Erebia, 56, a father of five and grandfather, was shot and killed last month after his son’s truck was stolen. Authorities have charged London Hogan Sr., 37, with murder in the case. But Saturday’s gathering was not about the crime, family members said. It was about the way Erebia lived.
“Words cannot adequately express what Saturday meant to our family,” said Amanda Erebia, Louis Erebia’s wife. “What started as an idea to honor Louis became something so much bigger than we ever imagined. Nearly 200 people showed up to volunteer, work on the North Shore Little League fields, or bring donations to support the league he loved so much.”
Volunteers leveled fields, hauled dirt, cleaned bleachers, detailed concession stands, reset trash cans in concrete and prepared the park for the next season. Others dropped off bottled water and sports drinks that the league can sell during the season to help pay for umpires, field repairs and other expenses. The fields are not maintained by the county.
Amber Burrough, Louis Erebia’s sister-in-law, said the family wanted the day to reflect Erebia’s habit of giving without seeking attention.
“We knew that we didn’t want to do any type of fundraising because we respect and we love our community and we know that there’s other people hurting too,” Burrough said. “The premise of the event was to really get out there and spread the light like Louis did.”
Burrough said Erebia had worked on the fields “for decades,” including years after his children stopped playing.
“He would be the one that would be out there this time getting ready for the next season,” she said. “So, we continued his legacy.”
The effort benefited the entire league, Burrough said, not only one division.
“It was for any kid in the community that utilizes those fields,” she said.
North Shore Little League President Eric Kirchner thanked the family after the event and said the day reflected what Erebia meant to the league.
“I can’t think of a better way to ‘be like Louis’ and build a community,” Kirchner said. “So many people today said we should do this more often.”
Kirchner said one moment stood out to him: watching a volunteer named Jimmy walk directly to Field 3 and begin working.
“It was like going back in time and him and Louis just working on that field,” Kirchner said. “It felt like he was saying, ‘Come on old friend, let’s do this again.’”
Burrough said the turnout included 160 to 200 people throughout the morning, including some who came only long enough to drop off water or sports drinks. The donated drinks, she said, were not for the family or the volunteers, but for the league to sell later.
“It was only for the ball fields to sell so that they can continue to generate ways to help those kids,” she said.
For Amanda Erebia, the day was a way to keep her husband’s name alive by continuing the work that mattered to him.
“Our goal has always been to keep Louis’ name alive, but even more importantly, to keep his legacy alive,” she said. “Louis believed in serving others without expecting anything in return. He gave countless hours to North Shore Little League because he loved those kids, that league, and this community.”
She said her husband should be remembered for more than the way he died.
“We refuse to let evil have the final word,” Amanda said. “We refuse to allow one senseless act to define the life of an extraordinary man. Louis was not just the victim of a horrific crime. He was a devoted husband, an incredible father, a proud grandfather, a loyal friend, a faithful man of God, and a servant to his community. That is how he deserves to be remembered.”
Burrough said that message guided Saturday’s work.
“Although we hate what happened to Louis, we do not want this tragedy to define him,” she said. “What defined him is the character of who he is and who he was with his volunteer work and his light that he shined with everybody. So as much as we demand justice and we want accountability for all, we took Saturday to honor him and his contribution to our community.”
The family called the event Love Like Lou Community Day — a name meant to capture how Erebia lived, his wife said.
“Love Like Lou Community Day was more than cleaning ball fields,” she said. “It was a reminder that love is stronger than hate, that kindness outlives cruelty, and that one life lived with generosity can inspire hundreds of others.”
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