Eric Henry Hawley

We should have known Eric Henry Hawley would burn through this life too quickly. Eric was born June 17, 1999, in Tampa, FL, full of muscles and action. He was walking at 9 months and constantly in motion from then on, finding things to climb, balls to throw, objects to jump on, animals to love, and flowers to pick for his mom.

From preschool on to adulthood, Eric made friends easily, choosing those who were both fun-loving and kind-hearted to others, as he was.

Eric excelled at just about anything he tried, and moved to the next thing quickly. Little league (where he earned the nickname "The Glove"), cub scouts, bowling, math league, STEM. He was a fish in the water and taught himself how to do backflips into the pool and go solo tubing down river rapids at a young age. At age 9, Eric created his own sport that combined his RipStick with basketball, and when he got too good at that, he added skateboard ramps and an obstacle course to the game.

He went from Razor scooter to RipStick to skateboard to mountain bike to motorcycle to Ford Mustang to Ford F150, and eventually to his own semi truck with sleeper cab.

Being as active and adventurous as he was, injuries were bound to happen. In elementary school, he suffered a broken collar bone while camping and took it like a man when the doctor manually reset the bone. Then in middle school, he endured a bad fractured leg sustained when a bigger kid fell on him in a basketball game. These slow downs were frustrating to him, but he never complained and saw them as just another of life's adventures.

Eric was a hard-working, dedicated leader among his peers. In high school, Eric earned the rank of trombone section leader and was the youngest and longest-serving marching band officer at the time. These were the same years he was finally able to rejoin organized sports after the broken leg and resulting complications. Although he didn't have the long-term experience most varsity lacrosse players have, he gave it his all and earned the respect of his coach. He was named Most Improved Player as a senior. And despite the distraction and drama of girls, Eric graduated with honors from Robinson Senior High in 2017.

Eric was half of the Gasparilla Bananas duo, walking the route almost every year with a couple of exceptions (one being the year Eric's leg was broken). The tradition began while Eric was a kid and continued until he was 19. If you ever went to the Gasparilla parade and saw a couple of bananas giving free hugs to anyone who wanted one, you saw Eric and family friend Mike.

Eric had a lifelong desire to roam. As a little kid, he talked of living in the woods or hiking the world. As an adult, he talked of converting his car to a traveling apartment. When he was an electrician droving long distances to job sites, he soon discovered that he loved the drive more than the job.

Eric went to truck driving school (graduating top of his class), and became an over-the-road truck driver visiting 32 states in just 13 months (all lovingly tracked by his devoted dad). He loved the job but frequent delays left him stuck in remote towns, waiting for the next load or bad weather to pass. These frustrations and his love for family and friends pushed him back home to drive locally while he saved up to buy his own home.

Eric was generous to a fault. He didn't carry a grudge and forgave perhaps too easily. He was the most chill person you'd ever meet. He was the guy who'd treat a girl right and took commitments seriously. He was the friend who'd buy and grill all the food and invite you to his home if you'd just bring a beer to share and a happy disposition.

Fun loving, philosophical, loyal, dedicated, and honest, Eric was happiest when he was doing something good for someone else. He reveled in doing jobs for his grandmother, "Beema," or parents, often asking how he could help or surprising us with completed jobs we didn't even know he was doing.

Eric dreamed of seeing the world and shared those goals with his sister Claire just the other day. He was proudly looking forward to being a groomsman in Claire's upcoming February wedding. And he was eager to meet his new little cousin, his cousin Sarah's baby due in February. But while he was trying to balance his wanderlust with his strong desire to establish his own home and family, he was suddenly taken from us. Eric passed away in Tampa, FL, on Friday, November 24, 2023, at the age of 24.

Eric loved deeply. He was not shy to show his love for his family, who loved and cherished him back. He is survived by his parents Elizabeth J. "Jenny" Purcell Hawley and Raymond R. Hawley, Jr.; sister Claire Elizabeth Hawley and her fiancé, Robert E. Harmon; half brother Raymond R. Hawley, III (Liz); half sister Victoria Hawley Berezansky (Adam); maternal grandmother Judith D. "Beema" Batson; maternal aunt Catharine "Emmy" Purcell Reynolds and uncle John Reynolds; maternal cousin Sarah Reynolds Krapf and Wyatt Krapf; maternal cousin Thomas Reynolds; grand aunt Aune Culp; paternal aunts Priscilla "Honey" Hawley McComb, Kathryn Hawley Hobson (James), Barbara Hawley Hansen, Doris Hawley, Susan Hawley Miller (James), and Marguerite Hawley; niece Millicent Hawley; honorary family member Michael Bednarik; family dog Stella; and many more beloved family members and friends.

Eric is predeceased by his maternal grandfather Lt Col Henry Purcell, III, (U.S. Ret.), PhD; paternal grandparents Raymond R. Hawley, Sr and Eleanor Meddaugh Hawley; maternal uncle Robert W. "Will" Purcell; paternal uncles Dennis McComb and Edward Hansen, and family dog Baxter.

In lieu of flowers, you may wish to consider a small donation to help defray the many unexpected expenses. https://gofund.me/30b8902f

A private memorial will be held to celebrate Eric's beautiful life.