November 7, 1938 - May 5, 2021
Eric Holmberg passed away on May 5th, 2021 at the age of 82. His battle with his medical issues showed his courage in facing life's challenges with stamina. He tried his best to survive but passed away alone at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
Eric met the love of his life, Ethel Ardron in England. He was stationed at the Langar Air Base and Ethel was traveling in Europe and went to visit a homesick friend who's husband was also stationed there. Her friend said she had just met a young man from New Westminster, B.C. where both Eric and Ethel were from and would she like to meet him and the rest is history.
Eric was predeceased by his parents Evald Holmberg and Inez Quick and his first son Michael who died at age 35.
He is survived by Ethel his wife of 58 years, this sons Neil (Tessa), Robert (Rae-Marie) and daughter Meren (Jim). He is also survived by his grandchildren Derek (Natalie), Madison and Trenton.
Eric will also be missed by his "baby" brother Carl (Francis). He will be missed by his 99 year old Aunt as well as his numerous cousins.
Eric served in the Air Force as a Radar Technician for 36 years. During that time he was posted in England twice and Germany once. He got to spend time all over Canada which included the high Arctic.
He had his retirement home built in Kingston, Ontario and "settled down". That didn't last very long as he bought an old racing sailboat and then we decided to move back "home" as our children had all moved to B.C.
We came out for Easter and went to Vancouver Island to visit friends for the weekend and ended up buying a house. Now what to do with the boat was the question. The answer was "try to sail it to our new home".
He worked hard trying to get the boat in good enough shape to make the voyage and "borrowing our daughter" who had never set foot on a sailboat to come as crew and off we went. The trip started in stormy weather and ended in very stormy weather. We all enjoyed the trip down the East Coast and our adventures in the Bahamas but decided it was time to go to our new home so after a seven month adventure we flew home.
He sailed for awhile here in Comox but switched to spending time on the water with his friend Russ going prawning and crabbing in his powerboat.
As you can see by the photograph Eric enjoyed his homemade wine. He made it for 45 years having started in North Bay, Ontario where he had a lot of friends and work buddies and very little money so it was fortunate he was good at it. He switched to the kits in later years and still has one waiting for him to make.
He will be missed by all who knew him. He was a large, intimidating looking man but his family called him the "Gentle Giant" with his great sense of humour and infectious laugh.
When Covid is over we will be taking his ashes to the places he loved best to spread with his family.