Eric Myracle

1968 - 2023

MYRACLE, Eric Andrew

Eric Andrew Myracle, 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 almost fifteen months later. After their parents divorced, Eric and Lauren spent much of each summer and many holidays in Brevard with their father, stepmother Sarah Lee, and new sister, Eden. They spent the rest of each year in Atlanta with their mother, new stepfather Tim, and new siblings Jim, Timothy, and Mary Ellen. Eric's youngest sister, Susan, came along several years later. Eric's upbringing gave him the best of two worlds, the mountains of NC and the energy of cosmopolitan Atlanta.

Eric attended Trinity School and graduated from The Westminster Schools in 1986. His B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech came in 1992, through Tech's co-op program in which he alternated semesters between studying on campus and working at McKenney's, Inc., a mechanical contracting firm.

In 1994, Eric joined the engineering design firm Newcomb & Boyd, where he remained for the duration of his career, with the exception of two years in Brazil. While in Brazil, he became fluent in Portuguese while managing the sale of industrial valve products for a Swiss company and earning his professional engineer's license.

After returning to Newcomb & Boyd, Eric served as project manager and HVAC team leader for two decades and became an 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 early 2000s, 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 very happy years of marriage followed.

Eric delighted in family life, going with Joanie and their sons Jack (14) and Matthew (12) 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 their marriage, Joanie struck a deal with Eric: if he would do the cooking, she would do the dishes. (Little did she 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 cancer diagnosis in December 2022 shocked 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. Likewise, Joanie cared for him tirelessly during his last months. Eric died at home with his mother holding one hand and his wife holding the other, his many rescue animals holding vigil 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 AM, Saturday, March 25, 2023 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.