Thursday, June 17, 2021
Even though I grew up right around the corner from Eric in Bloomfield, I didn’t meet him until 1973. He enlisted in the Air force right after graduating Bloomfield High in 1970. He had just finished up his tour in Thailand and was home on leave before heading to Loring AFB in Maine, when I met him. His brother Chris, his friends Steve and Warren, were working on an old Jeep as a nightly endeavor, just up the street from my parents’ house. I was the annoying little kid who used to come up and watch and try to help. I remember the only thing they would stop working on the Jeep for, were the audio tapes sent by Eric from Thailand. When one arrived, all work stopped and we would adjourn to Warren’s basement to listen to what Eric had sent. I often wondered what made him so special, then, I got to meet him. From that moment on, I knew he was very special person. Turns out Eric was every bit as smart as they said, but he was mostly kind and never seemed to get angry. He treated me like a brother, even before I became his brother-in-law. He took me for my drivers’ license, my motorcycle license, and drove a box truck to New York State to pick up my junk Jeep. He was always there to lend a hand. His brother Chris and I made many nightly visits to see him at Teterboro Airport where he repaired avionics, a trade he learned in the Air Force. He was a regular at all family gatherings, and always looking out for his mother and siblings. Too many memories to list, but all great memories of a true gentleman. The world was a better place for him being here. I am blessed for having known him, and proud to have had him as a friend for 48 years. He will be greatly missed.
