Eric Roth

Camper, Counselor, Musician



Eric grew up at Tyler Hill Camp, starting out as a Wayne Hall kid, while his father, Herb, was the camp physician. As a camper, Eric was in every group, served under Shelly as a waiter and had a terrific run in the 1980's as a counselor for the Junior Boys. His leadership qualities and outgoing personality made him a popular player among a large cast of colorful and wacky characters, during a period of camp that is now remembered as the last great decade under Bill Heft's watch.

In the 1960's we had Bob Cichillo, in the 1970's we had Lance Taragano, and in the 1980's we had Eric. As with Chick and Lance, Eric was larger than life on the campus. His sense of humor, his love of camp and his ability to connect with the campers made him an iconic figure on campus for many years.

As a musician, writing lyrics for his group's sings, as well as for Color War, Eric's talents are a matter of record. His songs were often big winners and gave the campers much to cheer about. Eric had memorable turns as a Color War general and twice as a lieutenant, which was a tribute to his leadership. Many will remember Eric as a Blues Brother, dancing all around the Social Hall at the start of Color War Sing. Eric also served in several other capacities at camp, including as a Music Director. He even ran the Waiter Program for a summer, after Shelly Schneider retired. His compendium of services also included umpiring softball games, as well as refereeing for basketball and hockey. Those who know Eric well will tell you that he never seems to get enough of Tyler Hill Camp. He rarely turned down any request for help by the camp, either on Bill's watch, or on Andy's.

Now that Eric's wife, Arlene works as a nurse at Tyler Hill Camp, Eric gets to be at camp again. His children, Harrison and Melanie, are campers at Tyler Hill camp, representing a third generation of the Roth Family. Eric's sister, Ellen, was also a long-time camper and counselor, who also enjoyed a popular and spirited run that included being a Color War general against Eric, in 1982.

Eric Roth and his entire family have meant a great deal to the Tyler Hill Camp family and while there may be many among the Tyler Hill faithful who love the camp as much as Eric, no one loves it more.