Obituaries

As a kid, Rick was the best compadre you could ask for. I watched him grow up as he was my little brother's partner in crime (and neighbor) for many, many years. Rick was always game for any baseball, basketball, football, or hide-and-go-seek tag game. Like my little brother, he tagged along with anything Marc would allow. And Marc loved hanging out with him, as I did with my younger sibling. Extremely intelligent, witty, charismatic, and just a great, happy and fun-loving guy. My whole family misses him greatly but we're happy to know that he's in a better, more peaceful place.

I knew Eric when we were both students at UW-Madison, just after the turn of the 21st Century. We traveled in some of the same circles — we both were sports reporters for The Badger Herald, and we both did sports broadcasting for WSUM 91.7 FM (the student-radio station), and we both had a love & affinity for Wisconsin sports (all sports really). In 2002, Eric interned with the Madison Mallards summer-league college baseball team, and he arranged for our WSUM sports department to secure the radio play-by-play broadcasting rights in 2002 and 2003. Becoming a sports play-by-play guy was my career aspiration, and we spent many a summer night calling Mallards baseball games — and I am forever grateful to Eric for making that opportunity possible. Also in 2002, Eric invited me to attend the Bruce Springsteen concert at the Bradley Center, along with a couple of Eric’s friends. It was a great show & compelled me to attend 3 other Springsteen concerts that year — some of the best live-music experiences of my life. On a random whim today, I Googled my old friend Eric’s name, to see what he was up to — and I am saddened to learn of his death. I will remember him as the fun-loving, gregarious, good-natured guy he always was back in those early-2000s days.

Eric was one of my best friends and partner in crime for 15 years:). I have watched him touch so many lives as a teacher, a coach, a father, a brother, a son and as my former work-husband. He made us laugh always, he made us love harder, he made us stay out too late often, he made us let go of fears and he made us hold on to memories that will fill our hearts forever.

My deepest sympathies to Cliff, Linda, Marc and the entire family. I got to know Eric well through Marc and as a team mate on many Cliff’s Boathouse softball teams. I have nothing but good memories of him. Just a great kid with a good heart. As his health declined the outpouring of love and support I saw on social media tells me he touched a lot of peoples lives. I will continue to pray for your family to find strength and healing. I know he will be watching over you until one day you meet again.