Eric Edwards

Eric Edwards, age 51 from Bothwell, UT, tragically passed away on October 21, 2024, doing what he loved, riding his ATV and spending time with his son, Aiden. 

Eric was born on May 26, 1973, in Weymouth Massachusetts to Ed & Paula Edwards. Eric, the oldest child and only son, was the protective prankster to his two younger sisters Kim & Kristin. 

In 2003, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he met the love of his life, Michele. They were married on September 26, 2004, aboard the Boston Odyssey vessel in Boston Harbor, surrounded by family and close friends. You never saw one without the other. He adored Michele and enjoyed making her laugh with his dumb Dad jokes. They recently celebrated their 20th anniversary in Ireland. 

Eric and Michele made their home in Layton, Utah, where they started their family by welcoming three amazing children: Aiden, Charlotte, and Sophie, who quickly became the center of Eric's world. Eric was actively involved in their lives, always present to celebrate their victories, both big and small. He took great pride watching Aiden grow up; taking every opportunity to share how proud he was of Aiden’s ambition and his accomplishments in all of the new jobs he had. Eric also enjoyed cooking with Charlotte and teaching her all of his tricks in the kitchen. He loved watching Charlotte develop her passion and her natural gift for dance. He was so excited to watch her step out and dance her first solo. Sophie’s determination to make her dreams come true always amazed Eric. He took great pride in sharing how she achieved her goal becoming the Golden Spike Sweetheart with less than a month of training. He never stopped talking about his kids. 

Eric had a deep love for the outdoors and riding ATVs. He bought his first three-wheeler at age ten after saving all his money from his paper route. You could always find him running wild with his best friend, Adam.

Eric graduated from Stoughton High School in 1991. After graduation, he honorably served our country from January 1992 to July 1999 as an AMMO troop. During his service, he was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and Hill Air Force Base in Utah. September 1995, while stationed at Elmendorf AFB, he witnessed an AWACS plane crash, which had a profound impact on him. He also completed two overseas tours in Saudi Arabia. During his first tour in June 1996, he was a victim of a terrorist attack at Khobar Towers, where 19 U.S. service members were killed, and around 500 people were injured. These two traumatic events had a lasting effect on Eric, contributing to his PTSD.

Eric always found time to help fellow veterans facing similar challenges. He provided support and understanding, assisting them in accessing the help and benefits they needed.

After leaving the Air Force, Eric worked for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, where he designed communications for Soldier Hollow, Utah Olympic Park, and the Ice Sheet in Ogden. 

In November 2018, Eric and his family moved to Bothwell, Utah. He quickly embraced small-town life and felt right at home in the tight-knit community. Always willing to lend a hand, Eric became a familiar face at sporting events, the grocery store, and IFA. 

During high school Eric worked at Papa Gino’s pizza. Where he found his love for making pizza and connecting with people. While living in Bothwell he started a side gig making South Shore style pizza. People loved his accent and his wicked good pizza. 

If you missed Eric making his wicked good pizza, you could often find him working with our lacrosse athletes. In the fall of 2020, Eric discovered his true passion: coaching.

He had a remarkable ability to connect with everyone he met, making each player feel like they were his favorite. Eric aimed to inspire and encourage his players, teaching them valuable lessons in resilience, teamwork, integrity, and the importance of having fun while working hard. He was always there with a smile, a pep talk, or a helping hand. He had an endless desire to look out for the underdog and lift them up.

Although Eric is no longer with us, the memories we shared and the lessons he taught will always remain in our hearts.

Eric is survived by his loving wife, Michele, and their children: Aiden, Charlotte, and Sophie. He is also survived by his parents, Ed and Paula; sisters, Kim (Chris) and Kristin (Matt); and nieces and nephews: Jessica, Payton, Lucas, Nathan, and Riley. Additionally, he is survived by his in-laws, Paul and Luann Carter and his Lacrosse family. 

He is preceded in death by his nephew Christopher and father-in-law Michael Allen.

A Celebration of Life for Eric will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at Bothwell Park, 10350 W 11600 N, Tremonton, UT 84337.  The family will gather to greet the public at a visitation at the park from 9:00 AM until 10:30 AM.  At 10:30 AM, there will be a sharing of memories from Eric's loved ones and anyone else in attendance at the park.  Immediately following the sharing of memories, there will be a Graveside Service with Military Honors at the Bothwell Valley View Cemetery, 11580 W 11200 N, Tremonton, UT 84337. Following the graveside, friends and family are welcome to join us for a luncheon back at the Bothwell Park.

Due to the large amount of people at the visitation, we will be streaming the service later than anticipated. If for some reason the stream does not work we will record the service and upload the video at a later date. 

The livestream will begin in at approximately 11:45am

For those who wish to support the Edward family here is the link for their GoFundMe account.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-edwards-family-after-their-tragic-loss