John Eddings, City of Detroit ombudsman for 10 years, dies at 79

John Eddings was a champion of people that was recognized for having a listening ear and looking for options for individuals who had been handled unfairly. 

Eddings died April 8 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 79.

Eddings labored at Chrysler earlier than being employed by the Metropolis of Detroit and labored in varied govt positions earlier than he served a 10-year appointment as Detroit ombudsman below three mayors: Coleman A. Younger, Dennis Archer and Kwame Kilpatrick. After retiring from Detroit, Eddings grew to become Macomb County’s first ombudsman and labored there for a couple of yr. 

Born in Corinth, Mississippi, Eddings was the youngest of three siblings. He moved to the west aspect of Detroit as a baby along with his household after his father discovered a job in an auto elements plant. Eddings graduated from Northwestern Excessive Faculty and acquired a bachelor’s diploma from Hampton College. He later undertook varied skilled growth research at Wayne State College. 

He moved to Las Vegas from Detroit final November.

“After my mother handed, he wished to go away, and so he got here out right here in November of final yr,” mentioned his daughter Carla Eddings Williams, who lives in Las Vegas.

“I knew that my dad did loads. He was really a person of service,” she mentioned. “Daddy helped so many individuals.”

He was a strong voice for the underrepresented, in line with retired deputy metropolis ombudsman and longtime good friend Raymond Schultz. “He believed in equity, accountability and fairness for everybody. … Folks got here to him for assist once they ran right into a brick wall.”

Longtime good friend Charlie Williams mentioned: “His persona was treating individuals with respect however being agency when he needed to be agency. That’s why he was affective as an ombudsman.” 

Eddings was the primary Black president of america Ombudsman Affiliation.

In a 2016 interview with the Detroit Historic Society, Eddings described dwelling close to twelfth Road in Detroit in the course of the 1967 riot.

“John was at all times a straight shooter,” mentioned Jeff Woods, a former union president and member of the Detroit Retired Metropolis Workers Affiliation. “He taught me a number of issues about metropolis authorities. … I thought of him my mentor.”

Eddings was a faithful household man who was married to his spouse, Patricia, for 52 years earlier than she died in 2020.

“He additionally spent a number of time along with his daughter Carla, who was the apple of his eyes,” Shultz mentioned.

Eddings loved politics, jazz music and assembly with buddies for breakfast or lunch. 

He had fun that may knock your socks off,” recalled Cal Cortright, a longtime good friend who met with Eddings and a gaggle of retired buddies for breakfast or lunch just a few instances a yr.

Eddings was a member of {many professional} and civic organizations that included the Worldwide Ombudsman Institute, Nationwide Discussion board for Black Public Directors, Worldwide Personnel Administration Affiliation, American Society for Public Administration, Society for Human Useful resource Administration, Nationwide Hampton Alumni Affiliation, Nationwide Affiliation for the Development of Coloured Folks and Detroit Retired Metropolis Workers Affiliation.

He was the nuts-and-bolts man, in line with Trienere Steinberg, who used to work with Eddings. “He knew every thing and was a taskmaster. Folks went to John once they wished to get issues accomplished appropriately and on time. John was a take-care-of-business type of dude. The type you’d at all times need in your crew.” 

A memorial service in Detroit is being deliberate for June.

Brendel Hightower is an assistant editor on the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bhightower@freepress.com.