It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of two storied individuals in the history of Union City.
On May 26th, the music world and our community lost Rick Derringer, passing at his Florida home at the age of 77. Derringer moved to Union City, Indiana as a young teen and proceeded to form the band, The McCoys, who would produce the famous hit, "Hang on Sloopy" in 1965. The song would soon be adopted by the Ohio State University Marching Band. Derringer's career as a musician, producer, and songwriter found him crossing paths with a multitude of artists such as Edgar and Johnny Winter, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Bonnie Tyler, and Weird Al Yankovic, which included a grammy award for his work with Yankovic.
Derringer's small town roots proved no obstacle for his highly successful career on the world stage, but he also never forgot his roots as he would still make the occasional appearance in Union City, most recently on the Artisan Crossing stage. The likeness of him and his McCoys' band members can be seen on the mural affixed to the wall of the fire department on Chestnut Street
We also mourn the passing of Doug Wright, an exemplary firefighter with an amazing 55 years of service. Doug began his service to Union City in 1968, working his way through the ranks to become Fire Chief of the Union City, Ohio department in 1998, a capacity he would hold until 2006. Doug also served on the UCO council.
Doug's lifelong dedication to serving and protecting others was a blessing beyond measure to the Union City community and beyond.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Rick and Doug, and we are thankful for the indelible mark they have left on their respective communities.