We are so sorry for your loss. Wishing you all moments of peace and comfort as you remember Erik.  Please let us know if you need help with anything, we are here for you and the family.  

Our love thoughts and prayers, Terry & Kathy Wallace

I became friends with Erik my senior year of high school when we were assigned seats in the same table during a class. We became friends after joking about how we “had to share the spotlight” on February 5, because we shared the same birthday. Erik was kind to everyone he met, was the person who made us all cry from laughter, and even though he was in a group with three girls, he didn’t mind. He was one of the smartest kids in the room, but was humble about it. I remember one time I came to class in tears because I did terribly on our math test, and Erik got up to get me a bunch of tissues, told me not to worry, and started to help me after school with math. I ended up getting an A on the next test we had. We ended up talking about everything you could have imagined, and I really got to know Erik as a selfless individual and someone who gained all of my respect. 

I was never part of his immediate friend group, and it speaks volumes about his character that that didn’t matter to him; he was nice to you regardless of who you were. You didn’t have to be popular to be his friend. You didn’t have to be his friend first to receive his kindness. 

I hated many parts of high school, but the memories that I made with Erik became a large part of why my senior year was by far my favorite year. I still talk about how we failed to take care of an ecosystem of worms, our awful dance routines, how he’d secretly help me understand AP Calculus, and how he and our class iguana got along. Our class group during the pandemic talked about reconnecting and promised to keep in touch. We’ll never forget him, and we’ll make sure that Erik’s memories continue to live on.

 It was an honor, privilege, and blessing to be Erik’s friend, and I’ll continue to remember him every February 5th.