Taken from us too soon: Eric Lee McPherson, 59, died of heart failure on May 1 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

He is survived by two children, Lindsey McPherson of Washington, DC, and Colin McPherson of South Lake Tahoe, California; his mother, Joanne McPherson of Findlay, Ohio; and his brothers, Edward McPherson of Delaware, Ohio, and Malcolm McPherson of Arlington, Ohio.

Eric is preceded in death by his father, John McPherson.

Born February 22, 1966, Eric grew up the youngest of three brothers in Findlay, Ohio.

He met his best friend Jim Arnold when Eric's family moved into the neighborhood before elementary school. They remained close friends throughout the years.

In middle school, Eric met Karen Kroetz, whom he dated and ultimately married on March 28, 1987.

Eric graduated from Ohio University in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in English and literature and moved back to Findlay to raise his young family. In 1993, Eric's dreams of being a poet called him to study at the University of Maryland College Park.

While he continued writing poetry in his spare time, Eric primarily worked as a self-employed proposal writer, offering his wordsmith skills to help companies successfully compete for government contracts.

Eric and Karen raised Lindsey and Colin in Laurel, Maryland, where Eric coached both kids in his favorite sport, soccer, and encouraged their other interests.

The couple later moved to Williamstown, Kentucky in 2006 and Redington Beach, Florida in 2016.

Hurricane Helene destroyed Eric's dream home along the intracoastal waterways of the gulf, but not his joy for living in the Florida sunshine near the water.

Eric loved watching sports, particularly his favorite NFL team, the Rams, and the U.S. men's national soccer team. He was excited to make it to some big games, like Superbowl LIII in Atlanta and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

He enjoyed music, whether it was live performances of his favorite band The Who or jamming out at home with his air guitar.

Eric also appreciated the simple pleasures, like hanging out with his beloved family dogs and spending time in his favorite places pondering deep thoughts on life.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 31 at Trinity Episcopal Church,
128 W Hardin St, Findlay, OH 45840.

An open visitation will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m. and a reception with light refreshments.

In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in Eric's name to Red Cross Disaster Relief or United Way of Florida's Disaster Recovery Fund.