Elwood Cubbage '66 - Rest In Peace

If anyone has attended a North/Frankford Thanksgiving Day game in the past several years, you probably noticed a group of guys on Large St, just North of Dyre, tailgating before (and most often after too) the game. Most of these gentlemen are Northeast Catholic grads from the mid-1960's. Although, the past couple of years, some younger guys have joined them for some shrimp or brandy soaked cherries. They come every year for two reasons. First and foremost, because it gives them all a chance to catch up with fellow classmates. The second reason (let's call it reason "1a" is because of their love of North Catholic, and the traditional Thanksgiving Day game. One of the men who was a regular at this annual event was Elwood Cubbage. Although I didn't know Mr Cubbage, other than just another one of the guys on Thanksgiving, I thought it was important for you to get to know him. I had request some background information from Elwood's classmate, Tom Furphy. Well, instead of trying to write my own tribute, I decided to just post Tom's words.

----From Tom Furphy, class of 1966---
Elwood T.Cubbage played at North all four years. He entered North in the fall of 1962. That's where I met him while playing Freshman Football for North and played through the 1965 campaign and graduated in 1966. His jersey number that he wore was #52 and was a offensive/defensive end. He loved playing the game as well as the friendships he formed while doing so at North.
The thing I remember most in those years was his dedication to North football. He came from the parish of St. Columba, in the area of the city know as Swamp Poodle, 22nd and Lehigh. Most us us had direct routes either by bus, trolley or the elevated trains, but Elwood would make the travel down to Somerset Station then the 54 bus line back home every night after practice on his own. I can't remember anyone taking the same route with him, but he did it time and time again for those four years. You need to remember that our practice would go to 5:00-5:30 P.M. so his day started early and was probably a 12-14 hour day during the season. Never heard him complain, but just always be there.
Back in those days, the last players leaving the locker room would have to take all the washables (jocks, socks, wraps & teeshirts) over to the laundry which was located under the Oblates living quarters. Elwood seemed to always be the one. I asked him one time why he always was the one at the end. His answer was that there were teamates whether they were hurt, or he just felt bad that they would pull the duty, that he purposely would be last so he would be able to help them and again make the trip home alone.
I believe it was our senior year that the bus driver that took us back and forth to games could no longer do it, so Elwood went home and asked his father, who worked for PTC at that time, if he would drive the bus for North. Mr. Cubbage became our official driver for the year.
We weren't by today's standards what you would call high profile players, but just a team, and Elwood was the type that if you were family, friend or team mate, you had his dedication through all times, both the tough and the good. His pride in being a North Catholic Football Alumni never wavered through the years. He would have shirts made with the North insignias for players from our team that included: 1. The score when we beat Frankford in 1965 our senior year. 2. One that had the Fire fighters for North but the last one he gave us was an actual jersey with our names and playing numbers from our senoir year. This was done with him paying for all.
I remained friends with Elwood after North up until his passing. You couldn't asked for a better person to have as a friend and know that he was always there. We should all appreciate the fact that he was a Falcon and we got the experience of having him be who and what he was to us. His favorite cheer was the Fablio.

Tom Furphy, '66.