If Henderson were to create a list of notable athletes that got their start locally and went on to become standouts in their selected sport, two names — Eddie Hicks and Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera — certainly would be included.
The Henderson City Council recently approved naming a shelter and two tennis courts at Fox Pond Park in honor of and in memory of those two local athletes, both of whom played for and were graduated from Vance Senior High School. The proposals were made by Recreation and Parks Director Kendrick Vann.
Fox Pond Shelter #1 will be named for Eddie James Hicks. Hicks grew up in Henderson and graduated in 1975 from Vance Sr. High School. He earned a football scholarship to East Carolina University, where he rushed for more than 2,100 yards during his four years. He was instrumental in the Pirates’ first-ever victory over UNC-Chapel Hill and continues to hold the school record for longest rushing yard play – 95 yards – in ECU history. He was inducted into the ECU Hall of Fame in 2014. Hicks was drafted by the New York Giants in 1979 and has long ties to the recreation and parks department. He often returned home during his professional career for special events and has been a long-time advocate for youth in the community.
His off-field accomplishments are equally impressive. Hicks is a devoted employee for the Recreation and Parks Department. “He takes pleasure in being a part of the team and takes pride in his work,” according to agenda information from the commissioners’ Nov. 8 meeting. “He has been called upon numerous times by the department and community, and he never wavers or disappoints. Even when Mr. Hicks is off work, he ensures that things are being handled and taken care of properly.” Hicks also oversees the adult and youth community service program and makes sure that areas throughout the city and county are clean.
Hicks is a member and trustee of the Kesler Temple AME Zion Church in the Flint Hill community and is an active community leader and advocate for youth. He has been a member of the Beacon Light Masonic Lodge #249 since 1984, and he joined #195 in 1986 and the Imran Temple #168 in 1995.
Tennis courts #1 and #2 will be renamed in memory and honor of teenage tennis standout Mary Lloyd Hodges Barbera. The Henderson native died at the age of 49 in 2015, but many remember her prowess on the tennis courts.
One of her nicknames was “Rabbit,” according to David Hicks, who remembers well Barbera’s dedication to the sport and who had occasion to face her on the tennis courts. “She’s the only tennis player I knew who could get mad at herself on the court and actually play better,” he said in an email to WIZS News. “Most don’t.”
She was considered one of the state’s premier junior tennis players in the 1970’s and 1980’s and was ranked number one in the state in girls’ 12-, 14- and 18-year-old divisions. She won two 4A state singles titles as a junior in 1981 and again in 1982 as a senior. She graduated from Vance Sr. High in 1983 and went on to Peace College, where, in 1984, she was named an All-American athlete by the National Junior College Athletic Association for Flight #1 in singles competition. She transferred to N.C. State University in 1985 and led the Wolfpack women’s tennis team with 16 wins in singles competition.
In addition to a 6-1 record against ACC competition, she contributed to a 16-3 slate in doubles, which included three wins in the ACC tournament. She was inducted into the William Peace University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012.