Eli S. Noble, Jr.

LIFE CELEBRATION OF DR. ELI SIDNEY NOBLE, JR.

ELI SIDNEY NOBLE, JR. was the first born to the late Agnes Smith-Noble and Eli S. Noble, Sr. on August 28, 1945 in Brunswick, Georgia. In his early childhood and adolescence, he attended the Saint Cyprian Episcopal Church in Darien, Georgia. He continued to worship the Lord at the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Tucson, AZ and in 2006 joined the First Baptist Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA where he remained until its closure. Afterwards, he attended and worshipped under Reverend James Breese in Pittston, PA at the First Baptist Church of Pittston, PA.

Eli graduated from Todd Grant High School, Darien, Georgia (1962). Continuing on his successful educational path, he procured his Masters of Education from the University of Arizona in Health Education (1971). Still reaching, he acquired a Doctor of Education from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1981).

Doctor Noble served in the United States Air Force and received a honorable discharge on May 28, 1970.

Doctor Noble’s professional work history commenced in Arizona at the Pima Community College where he held a variety of positions between 1971-1988: graduate assistant, Judo instructor, wrestling coach and Chairperson of the Health-Physical Education and Recreation Department. Briefly, he worked as a coordinator at Tucson United School (AZ).

Migrating from Arizona to the state of New Jersey, Doctor Noble was hired to the position of vice-principal at Essex County Vocational Schools, Bloomfield, New Jersey in 1990. Seeking further growth, in September 1994, he landed the job of principal at ECVS in Newark, New Jersey where he remained until his retirement from there in February 2005. He was genuinely a prime example of establishing and conquering ones’ goals. RESIST, PERSIST, and Acquire were words he lived by tenaciously in his daily life and vehemently communicated to students and any young person he had contact.

Doctor Noble was a member of the following societies and organizations:

National Association for Secondary School of Principals

New Jersey Education Association

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Pima Community College Hall of Fame (JUDD)

Former Board of Trustee Chairperson at First Baptist Church (Wilkes-Barre)

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity

Doctor Noble was preceded in death by his four sisters: Elizabeth Noble-Stewart, Kathy Noble-McCormick, Terry Adams and Rebecca Noble-Ferguson. Sadly, he leaves to honor in his memory, his wife Thelma Saunders-Noble (Bear Creek Twp.,PA), two daughters Kimberley Noble and Audra Noble-Wilkins (Anthony) (Richmond, VA), stepson Reginald Saunders (Newark, NJ), grands Gabriel, Nathaniel, Duran, Ayana, DeShonn and (the late) Dedric, great grands, brothers George (Valerie) Charlotte, VA, William (Shelia) Darien, GA, Ralph (Belle) Capitol Heights, MD and Henry (Kim) Darien, GA and mother-in-law, Lelia Ridley (Bear Creek Twp, PA); two sister-in-laws, Shirley Dorsey (Lumberton, NJ) and Diana Ridley (Elizabeth, NJ) and a plethora of nieces, nephews, colleagues and special friends.

Services will be live streamed here: