The Man

All of us who knew Eric loved him! He always had a kind word and a friendly smile for everyone he met. An avid gardener, he became co-president of Maxwell Street Community Garden in late 2019. He loved to grow peppers from seed and had his largest harvest in late summer 2021.  He especially loved coneflowers, milkweed, wisteria and clemantis and added plantings of them to the garden. He enjoyed swimming at Fosco Park and played Pickleball in leagues all over the city. Girl Friday, Eric’s beloved dog and companion, went with him everywhere.  Eric passed from this life on March 11, 2022 following a brave fight with cancer.

To commemorate Eric’s love of growing things and his dedication to the Maxwell Street Community Garden, a collaborative mosaic bench is planned in his honor. It will be placed in Maxwell Garden by the the new Monarch Butterfly Waystation. Eric’s plan was to raise Monarch Butterflies in the Garden. Gardener Adam Sterbis carries on his legacy, raising both Monarchs and Swallowtails. 

The Artist

Artist Kat Powers led the design efforts for an earlier memorial bench, with the garden element tiles being made by friends and family members of its honoree, Janet Janotta, during weekend work-sessions.  Kat worked with us to design and create Eric’s special bench and many individual mosaics were created by his pickleball “family” of friends over the last year. 

Creating a work of art is an ideal way of expressing love and respect for an individual’s life.