You may have seen Eddie Craven, affectionally known as “Meatball”, riding his bike throughout J-Town, most commonly accompanied by his brother, cleverly nicknamed “Spaghetti”. Meatball commonly frequented restaurants like the Gaslight Diner and Chubby Rays, talking to anyone that would listen. Meatball was loved by the J-Town community. To show their appreciation,  J-Town recognized meatball as the unofficial mayor, and he wore that title proudly. Since his passing on January 13, The J-Town community has been sharing stories and celebrating a life well-lived.

Cameron Marks’ Reflection

I can think back to some of my encounters with Meatball. As a young kid playing baseball at Skyview Park, Chubby Ray’s (recently renamed Parlour) was a staple for bites to eat in J-Town. One karaoke Friday night at Chubby Ray’s, my buddies and I walked up to the stage to do our best rendition of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. Roughly halfway through the song, Meatball ran on stage and joined us, singing along to the chorus like he was the lead singer in the band. After the song, Meatball decided we were his buddies for the night. He then joined us to the arcade and beat us in pinball (he was obviously hustling us). Reflecting on that night, ten years later, I can say it had a profound, unnoticed impact on my life and how I treated other people with disabilities in future encounters. It is with this and many other friendly encounters that Meatball’s legacy lives on.

Josh Detherage’s Reflection

I can recall the times my dad and I would drive around J-Town square and see Meatball (and sometimes his brother, Spaghetti) and he would tell me they’ve been riding their bikes in J-Town since the early 1980s. I’ve always been like a fan of theirs; they were basically local celebrities. One day, I was working a shift at Papa John’s, and none other than Meatball walked in. I immediately recognized him and greeted him. He was so happy that people he’d never met knew about him, and he met me with a friendly smile and a clean dap up. He asked me for a free pizza, which of course I had to give him. Once I gave him his order, he thanked me again, but I couldn’t leave without getting a picture with the living legend. After I got the picture, he walked out and waved at me and my coworkers until he was out of sight, while riding on his iconic bicycle. Meatball is an example of how people with disabilities can positively impact people’s daily lives, no matter what their circumstances and background may be. Meatball was a great man in the eyes of all people who live in J-Town, and his legacy will be remembered in the city of Jeffersontown forever.

Rest in Peace, Eddie “Meatball” Craven. Your legacy and memory will never die.

Click here for his full obituary.