A walk on the South Pier on a breezy evening is one of the minor joys of summer in Erie.

Boats do their slow parade through the channel from Lake Erie to their marinas and clubs. Anglers throw every sort of rigged line into the channel. Gulls, ducks and birds turn keen eyes toward visitors who might be carrying a spare potato chip or ice cream cone crumb.

All of it happens slowly, under a setting sun that might paint the sky neon pink, or blood orange, or poke through clouds in some inimitable natural performance art.

The family and friends of a much-loved and missed Erie man have made that show and experience even more enjoyable.

Alex Barlekoff died a year ago today, at age 78, after a career in which he clearly made an impact on many lives. And, as his obituary makes clear, in retirement he loved to fish.

The plaque on a bench placed in Barlekoff’s memory at the South Pier ought to bring a smile to those who knew him and those encountering his name for the first time:

It’s one more thing that makes the South Pier a defining element of Erie.