Jeff and Lin Eberhardt are native Long Islanders, who met in a ski shop in Huntington, Long Island, in 1977 and found it impossible to stay apart! The rest is a lovely love story that has endured three years of dating and 42 years of marriage. (When she finally said yes…But that is a story for another day!)
Jeff and Lin worked in the wholesale drug industry: He was a buyer for a wholesale drug company, and she was in sales for Warner Lambert. They found new paths to choose as time went by.
Lin left her job to create her vision of a new and novel company “Sensational Storks!”™. She designed and trademarked her 6-foot lawn sign rentals to announce newborn Long Islanders. She was the first company in the northeast to do so. She grew the company for 37 years and employed a staff of people to run her office and deliver her products. She will tell you that it was a blessing to answer the phone and share the good news that her clients gave her each day! Sensational Storks!™ added numerous signs and products over the years including a companion company, Sensational Wrappers! Custom candy bar wrappers. Placed on chocolate bars for babies and all occasions, they were a very sweet division of the original company. She grew her company for 37 years, with an incredible number of repeat clients and referrals. When she was about to launch her company Jeff asked her just who would rent the storks? She replied, Everyone! And she was correct!
Jeff has pursued his love of carpentry and creating beautiful spaces. When they first got married, he started making small improvements to their home. Over the 40 years they lived on Shady Lane in Huntington, they completely renovated their home leaving only one original wall. A space filled with light, tall windows and skylights surrounded by beautiful gardens including a fishpond. Their home was a delightful place to live and entertain! Over the years, Jeff started doing work for other people. Then one fine day, they slid right down the coast and landed here in Wilmington! Ask him, and he says he’s doing what he loves. He’s a skilled carpenter with creative ideas, creating beautiful spaces for his clients. He is known to be a talented, kind and honest gentleman and people like having them in having him in their home.
They have two children, Chris and Jentle, and two grandsons, Christopher, 27 and Nicholas, 26. Son Chris and his boys live on Long Island; He was very sad to see his mom move south, as he says she is his best friend. He is an avid sailor and skier and completely renovated his home mostly with his two hands. He says he’s smarter than the wood! He is also a business owner, entrepreneur and inventor. Very talented guy!
Very talented Jentle lives in Studio City, Los Angeles, and is in the entertainment industry. She started doing cue cards for SNL in NYC and many of the nighttime shows. She moved to LA 26 years ago. Jentle became the GOTO person for cue cards in the industry along with her former boss and mentor Wally at SNL. She has worked with Steve Harvey for several years, Alan Arkin, Michael Douglas and many others. She is a standup comic, voice over artist, and does set construction and removal. She is a pet mom to her parrot, Lucy Belle and her dog Billie Jean. Whew!! A Jill of all trades to boot!
Lin and Jeff had a history of helping create happiness. They loved sailing and sailed and cruised with Centerport Yacht Club for 25 years on Silver Morning, their beautiful O’Day 35. As a member Jeff was on the board of governors and in charge of the running the house. Lin added her creative touch on the to the numerous club social events! The parties at CYC have not been the same since, or so they say!
As the pandemic erupted, Jeff and Lin closed on their home on March 26, 2021! Little did anyone know how lucky it would be to have accomplished that sale at that moment! After 8 months of living with son Chris, during the construction of their Springstone Drive home, they were able to move to Leland. They opened the door to the lovely home they built in the warm and welcoming Hearthstone community. As luck would have it, they met their neighbors, Teresa and Michael Singer and a path to St. Paul’s was created!
It was a leap of faith to leave everything familiar including their family, friends, workplaces, and community, however little did they know that they would land perfectly. After visiting many Catholic churches and other churches, they found the beautiful community of St. Paul’s. The warmth and love that extends to all the congregation is the reason they are here today. If you ask them, they will tell you they are blessed to be here.