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Middlebury College

Eric Tunis Obituary

Eric Denton Tunis Died unexpectedly on Sunday, October 10, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was 66. He was born May 12, 1944 in Springfield, Massachusetts to Emily and Edward Tunis. After a brief time living in Longmeadow and South Egremont, Mass., he moved with his family to Southern then Northern California. He graduated from Menlo School and Middlebury College in Vermont, majoring in geography, which became a lifelong interest. Eric joined Peace Corps in 1967, serving two years in Eastern Iran. A career as a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department ensued, with posts in Kabul, Djakarta, Cyprus, Katmandu, Western Samoa, New Delhi, and as Consul General in Lahore, Pakistan. He spoke French, Farsi and Indonesian. After he retired in 1999 to Carmel Valley, California, he continued to do contract work for the State Department, mostly in Pakistan. Eric's great passions were travel, gardening, language, humor and collecting art. He had friends in many parts of the world. Survivors are two nephews, Douglas Van Cott Niven (and wife Saowalak) of Santa Cruz, Edward Bradford Niven of Oakland, and a niece, Laura Niven of Leipzig, Germany; a sister, Leila Hall and brother-in-law Samuel Hall, of Los Ranchos, New Mexico. Services are planned for a later date.

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Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Oct. 16 to Oct. 17, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Eric Tunis

17 Entries

Syed Khawar Mehdi

October 10, 2023

Rest in blessed peace dear friend.

Steve Fabricant

October 10, 2021

Been thinking a lot about Eric and the good times inn Kabul.

Steve fabricant

October 10, 2020

Ten years and still missed. We could have had much fun in San Francisco. And we lost another dear Kabul Clan friend this year too.

Norma Brown

November 25, 2016

Eric was the deputy director of my entering class in the FS. He became a good friend to me and my husband and I was shocked to learn of his passing. A good, good man.

Steve Fabricant

November 12, 2010

One of my great regrets is having seen so little of Eric after we both left Kabul. We partied hard there, and even shared an Embassy house for a few weeks. I heard from or about him occasionally over the years, and when we re-connected via the internet it was obvious that he still had a streak of the zany humor we enjoyed in the early 70's. Hope to run into you again somewhere Eric!

Susie Patterson

November 11, 2010

My husband Tommy Patterson and I (Susie Davis Patterson) were good buddies with Eric at Middlebury College and reconnected with him only last year when he stayed at our camp on Lake Dunmore with us on a trip back to Middlebury. Eric truly embodied the spirit of his great geography teachers at Middlebury -- Illick and Malstrom. He lived the life they advocated. We admired his intellect, were in awe of his adventurous life, and liked him immensely. We were talking about more visits together -- in Vermont and California and are so sad that Eric has died.

Charlie Orsburn

October 27, 2010

Eric, is truly one of the great ones. Always kind, always seeking peaceful resolutions to help make the world a better place. He is a wonderful friend and mentor who my husband and I look forward to seeing again.

Nket Kardam

October 27, 2010

Eric let me stay in his house for four consecutive falls and I took care of his house and cat Sweetpea. He was most generous, friendly, ready to assist in any way, curious, loved to talk and have fun - just such a nice person, I remember him with gratitude and love.
Nuket

greg d'elia

October 23, 2010

kindly, gregarious, with a talent for friendship and a boundless interest in others, we'll miss Eric, whom we knew in post-2001 New York. Eric had a great love for South Asia (and France!). A wonderful host, we later visited him in his home by Monterrey, with many enjoyable conversations over fine Central California wines. With fond remembrance, Greg and Françoise D'Elia

Geraldine williams

October 22, 2010

Eric, we loved you, and are so appreciative that we got to know you.
You were a great help professionally to Nick Williams Jr., my husband, former Los Angeles Times correspondent. Where-ever you are... keep a place at the table for us! We'll be along, by and by.

Nick and Gerri Williams

Larry Castle

October 21, 2010

Eric provided many of the highlights of my 2 year Peace Corps stay in Southeast Iran. Good humor, geographic puns and friendship are all well remembered.

Kent Ciucci

October 20, 2010

Eric,
I truly hope you are at peace my friend. You are a wonderful person and am glade that I had the fortune to know you.

Kent Ciucci

October 19, 2010

I had the good fortune of being Eric's neighbor throughout his stay in Carmel Valley. His humor, hospitality and fascinating stories of his travels endeared him to my husband, our 16 year old son and I. He was a dear man and I hope he knows how many truly loved him. I miss you Eric and will toast a fine wine to you....
Carol Kurtz Stoffers

Khawar Mehdi

October 19, 2010

Eric will always be remembered as an intelligent and fun person who loved good wine, fine food and a great conversationalist. A true friend of Pakistan

Alan Magary

October 16, 2010

Eric was a fellow Californian across the hall from me freshman year at Middlebury (we were class of 1966). After a phone call several years ago when he was back from Afghanistan, I lost touch with him. Eric was, in college, a fun guy and I hope everyone else he knew found him the good companion and conversationalist. Fun--but we can all see that he had a serious diplomatic career in some dangerous places. Peace, Eric.

MARINA GEORGE

October 16, 2010

God be with you Eric.

andrew engelman

October 16, 2010

This is Andrew Engelman. Eric and I met in Brattleboro Vermont in early 67 for Peace corps Training and went to Iran together. I considered him my best friend for many years and he was with me when my fist daughter was born in Singapore. In later years we drifted apart I think due to ideological reasons but I loved him and had countless fun with him on trips through Iran, and after Peace Corps through Europe together for months. My wife and I visited him with our daughter in Kabul in 1974 and I knew his friend Janet Niven in New York in 1970. Eric and I composed jokes and songs and all manner of mischief for many years. His parents came to see us in Teheran while in the Peace Corps. I visited him in Carmel Valley about ten years ago. I wish he and I remained friendlier in the last years but I was too conservative for him and unfortunately we drifted apart. I consider Eric a significant part of my life between the age of 23 and 43. We travelled Malaysia together, went to Cameron Highlands and played frisbee with Fox Butterfield a journalist,and we played and supped together in Washington many many times. He was for years my closest friend and he confided in me and I in him. I loved him.

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