Eric Wayne Wyckoff

Eric was born in New York City and raised in Long Island, New York and Farmington, Maine. He graduated Boston University with his B.S. in Astronomy and followed that later in life with an M.Ed in STEM Education from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. While living in Boston, he met the love of his life, Lisa Valentine. After a move to Baltimore they married in 1990. The birth of his beloved daughter Erin in 2002 was another celebrated milestone.

Eric was born to Carol and Harry Wyckoff on October 20, 1966. After a family move to Maine, Eric grew to love and anticipate each long, snowy winter, perfect for skiing, skating, and sledding. He saw success on the high school ski and track teams, while also finding time to perform flute, piccolo, and saxophone in the marching and jazz bands.

In the course of his 30 years battling multiple sclerosis, Eric by degrees led a less active life, but due to determination and modern medicine, he led a full professional life. It ranged from work-study in the BU Astronomy Department to a Programmer/Analyst position working with the Hubble Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute and later at Johns Hopkins University. It was followed by teaching in Baltimore City Public Schools and then substitute teaching for Baltimore County Public Schools. But as his disease progressed, he gradually dropped from the workforce. Eric had a valiant heart and great spirit and humor, and told his students, "I have MS, but MS doesn't have me."

Survivors include his wife, Lisa, his daughter, Erin, his brother, Christopher, his mother, Carol Schachinger, and extended family members and loved ones. He was predeceased by his father, Harry Wyckoff. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, January 21 at 1:00 PM at Ascension Lutheran Church, 7601 York Road, Towson, MD 21204. The family has expressed their wish that in lieu of flowers, donations please be made in Eric's name to the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Suite 724A, Baltimore, MD 21205. Please include a note indicating the donation is intended to benefit "Dr. Ellen Mowry's research in MS." Online donations may be made at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/neuro .