Eric 'Smiley' Givens Memorial Fund

On October 5, 2011 the small town of Laurel lost a one of a kind soul. Eric, very well known as 'Smiles' for his contagious grin, was unfortunately taken from us too soon. He was a son, a brother, a father, a dedicated volunteer firefighter, a farmer, and a hardworking employee to the Delaware Department of Transportation. Eric took pride in his job and everything he did, whether it be working on the family farm, practicing drills at the fire department, playing slow pitch softball for the burn tournament, or being on call for work for the big snow storms just so he could plow the roads all night so everyone could have safe travels, Eric would ALWAYS have a smile on his face. He was genuinely a great person with a huge heart, who put his life on the line everytime the whistle blew to protect his fellow brothers and sisters in the truck seat next to him, or to save the life of a victim. Eric lost his life while on the job for DelDOT. If you asked anyone who listened to the fire scanner on October 5 that heard the call come across - that a young male had been electrocuted while working, they would probably admit that the first person that popped in their head was him. Unfortunately, for some of us it was proven true. Eric left behind a loving family, who goes above and beyond for everyone, a beautiful daughter - who was only a few months when he passed, and friends who still have heavy hearts and miss him. However, due to financial struggles, and prior obligations to his daughter  Eric does not have the proper headstone to mark where a hero lies. Currently he has a small picture frame to be remembered by, and his friends and family, and hopefully others are determined to give him the memorial he deserves.