Eddie Springer is named the Knight of the Year

Intermountain Catholic

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Eddie and Josephine Springer accept the Knight of the Year plaque from Phil Garcia, also Council 5214. IC photo/Marie Mischel

OREM — Eddie Springer, of Bishop Hunt Council 5214, was named the Knight of the Year at the Knights of Columbus Utah State Council Awards Banquet May 4. Springer is a member of Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Kearns.

"Being a Knight is hard to put into words; it means a lot," said Springer. "The Knights of Columbus is a great organization and I feel overwhelmed by the attention and the honor I’ve received from this award."

"Eddie is a great guy," said Brad Miller, Grand Knight of the Bishop Hunt Council. "He is always there when we need him; he’s very dependable. He’s 84 years old, but he is super active. He is there every Sunday for the coffee and donut bar, and the people love his coffee. He is there every Friday night for bingo, and he and his wife, Josephine, are there for everything they possibly can be."

Springer has served as warden in the Knights of Columbus for about five years, said Miller. "He is an extremely nice and very humble guy and he will do about anything for anybody," he said. "He works the funeral dinners or luncheons they have in the parish. If he is not there, it’s because he or Josephine is sick."

Springer moved to Utah in the 1940s from Las Vegas, N.M., where he was born and raised. He was a truck driver most of his life before he retired.

He and his wife, Josephine, were married in 1990. "We had both been married before and had already had our families," said Springer.

Springer helps out at the parish doing whatever he can, he said. "I just like to help out as much as I can," said Springer. "I’m no leader, that’s for sure; I’m more of a follower. Actually, if it hadn’t been for my wife, I wouldn’t even have joined the Knights. She was pretty persuasive that I join, and it’s been great; it gives me something to do."

Josephine has been active in the Catholic Church all her life, she said. "When we came to St. Francis of Assisi, we became very active in the Church," she said. "When Eddie retired, I thought it would be a good idea for him to be as active as I am because I didn’t want to leave him home alone. When I was a young woman in my early 20s, I took a course from the Knights of Columbus, and at that time, I thought ‘I want to be married to a Knight.’ I read some literature and I thought it sounded great that the guys were doing so much work for the poor and the widows, and I thought I wanted to be married to a man who does that kind of stuff."

So Josephine encouraged Eddie to join, as did his fellow Knights.

"He was the epitome of a Knight before he joined; he was always so helpful and gentle with people and always there for those who needed him," said Josephine. "He hasn’t been sorry one bit. He’s enjoyed the activities; he’s always the first one there and the last one to leave and he is there every Sunday for donuts and Friday for bingo, and I think he only missed one time when he was really ill. He is really devoted to the Knights and the projects they have including their Thanksgiving and Christmas projects by running baskets to the families. He is really active, but for the most part we are active together."