Eric Andrew Myracle

MYRACLE, Eric Andrew, beloved husband, father, brother, son, and friend, died on March 2, 2023, in Decatur, Ga., three months after receiving a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He was 55.

Eric was born to Ruth Campbell Myracle and Eric Donald Myracle on February 22, 1968, in Brevard, NC. His first sibling, Lauren, followed fast on his heels. Following the divorce of his parents, Eric, along with Lauren, grew up spending much of each summer and holiday times in Brevard with his father and the rest of each year in Atlanta with his mother. Through blended families that resulted when both parents remarried, Eric gained a sister, Eden, in Brevard, and siblings Jim, Tim, Mary Ellen, and Susan in Atlanta. Eric grew up in the best of two worlds, the mountains of NC and cosmopolitan Atlanta.

Eric attended Trinity School and graduated from Westminster. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1992, earning his degree through their co-op program in which he alternated semesters between studying on campus and working at McKenney's, Inc., his introduction to the HVAC field. This allowed Eric to graduate with a breadth of hands-on experience while paying his way through college, exemplifying both his pragmatic and independent nature.

In 1994, Eric joined the engineering design firm Newcomb & Boyd, where he would remain for his

career with the exception of a two-year hiatus in Brazil, during which he became fluent in Portuguese. While there, he worked as sales manager for a Swiss manufacturer of industrial valve products, and also earned his professional engineer's license. At Newcomb & Boyd, Eric served as project manager and HVAC team leader for two decades and was named associate partner in 2011. He was LEED certified, and his technical abilities, responsiveness, and attention to detail made him invaluable to the firm. He will be greatly missed by his colleagues and work friends.

In the mid-1990s, Eric discovered three loves: his wife, Joanie, rescue dogs-border collies in particular-and the city of Decatur, where he resided until his death. It was while walking his dog through Decatur's Chelsea Heights that his neighbor, Gail, flagged him down from her front porch and suggested he meet a veterinarian who worked at her practice, Dr. Joanie Brower. On June 2, 2007, Joanie and Eric were married at St. Thomas More Church, irrefutable proof that great things happen when you adopt a rescue dog. Fifteen years of very happy marriage followed.

More blessings came with the birth of Eric and Joanie's two sons, Jack (nearly 14) and Matthew (12). Eric delighted in family life, going with Joanie and the boys to Mellow Mushroom, watching Jack and Matthew play basketball, baseball, and soccer, and spending time with them at Decatur's Venetian Pool.

Joanie describes Venetian as Eric's happy place, where he truly enjoyed the simple pleasures of life: sipping a beer, listening to classic rock, and splashing around in the water with the people he loved most in the world.

From a young age, Eric loved cars and usually had a vintage automobile or two parked in the driveway, most recently a 1967 Volvo 1800S and a 1970 Triumph TR6. Downtime for Eric often meant tinkering with an old car, though his tinkering ability served him equally well in the kitchen. Early in his marriage, Eric struck a deal with Joanie: if he would do the cooking, she would do the dishes. (Little did Joanie know how many dishes he would use!) Despite the occasional mess, that bargain was worth it. His chocolate cake was requested for countless birthday parties, and friends still talk about his tiramisu with homemade ladyfingers.

Eric's unexpected pancreatic cancer diagnosis in December of 2022 was a shock and blow to the many, many people who loved him. He carried the burdens of disease and loss with grace and fortitude and was characteristically stoic and uncomplaining throughout the ordeal. Likewise, his wife, Joanie, cared for him unreservedly and tirelessly during his last months of life. Eric died at home with his mother holding one of his hands and his wife holding the other, his many rescue animals stationed near his bed.

Eric is survived by his wife, Joanie; sons, Jack and Matthew; mother, Ruth White; stepfather, Tim White; father, Don Myracle; stepmother, Sarah Lee Myracle; sisters, Eden Knox, Lauren Myracle, Mary Ellen Evangelista, and Susan White; brothers, Timothy White and James White; dogs, Abby and Lulu; cats, Crosby, Simba, and Margot; and many loving uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. A kind, loyal man with a sly sense of humor, Eric is deeply loved and will be forever missed. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 25, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 636 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, Ga. 30030, with a reception immediately following in the Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts be made in memory of Eric to pancan.org, a non-profit whose goal is to create a world in which all patients with pancreatic cancer will thrive, and cardaddy.org, a non-profit that connects children battling cancer with the owners of classic cars, providing kids with a ride of a lifetime in the car of their dreams.