Oneonta, NY : Delaware Opportunities chief dies in crash on Saturday, January, 6th 2018

The longtime executive director of Delaware Opportunities Inc. died in a one-car accident Saturday night.

John Eberhard, 70, of DeLancey was driving on state Route 10 in Delhi just before 7 p.m. when his car left the road and struck a tree, Delhi volunteer Fire Chief Daren Evans confirmed on Sunday. Evans did not know whether Eberhard was transported to a hospital before his death. Delaware County deputies responded to the accident but did not provide details when contacted on Sunday.

Eberhard served as executive director of the not-for-profit since 1984.

“It's going to be a great loss to Delaware Opportunities,” said Wayne Marshfield, a member and treasurer of the agency's board of directors. “He was so devoted to that organization. Every time you went down, whether it was a weekend or an evening, he was working.”

Plans for a replacement will be addressed Monday, Marshfield said.

He said Eberhard will be "sorely missed." He and the director were the same age, he said, and they would often compare notes.

One of Eberhard's proud moments was the completion of the agency's headquarters in Hamden in 2005, which brought employees and services together under one roof, according to Marshfield. In 2015, the building was dedicated to Eberhard on the 50th anniversary of the agency.

Delaware Opportunities began as a community action agency in 1965 with a mission to help people achieve self sufficiency and attain a better quality of life, according to its website. The organization started its senior dining program in 1974, and began housing rehabilitation with a weatherization program in 1980. Family programs and aid for people with disabilities expanded under Eberhard's leadership, and the agency added a work experience job crew for people on public assistance in 1990, the website said

In 1999, the agency assumed operation of the Department of Social Services' foster homes and independent living skills programs, expanding services to particularly needy foster children. Eberhard has been praised for creating a Head Start program to better prepare Delaware County children for kindergarten.

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Delaware Opportunities chief dies in crash