Eric D. LoVullo

Chili: December 28, 2025. Eric is survived by his parents, Marcia & David LoVullo; brother, Daniel (Cristy Bell) LoVullo; also survived by aunt, uncle, cousins & dear friends.

Eric's life story will be shared during his visitation at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane (Between 390 & Long Pond Rd.), Saturday, January 10th, 10AM-12PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Rd., Fairport, NY 14450, https://www.lollypop.org/ or to your favorite animal rescue charity in Eric's name.

Life Story of Eric LoVullo
Eric LoVullo was born on Monday, April 7, 1975, in springtime Rochester, New York, to Marcia and David LoVullo. On the day he entered the world, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple to form Rainbow, and "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John topped the charts-small details that seemed fitting for a life that would be deeply shaped by music, curiosity, and quiet rebellion against convention.

Eric was kind, loyal, funny, and profoundly shy. Those who didn't know him well sometimes mistook his quiet nature for arrogance, when in truth he was deeply humble and unsure of himself in social situations. He wanted connection but found it difficult, often feeling he needed alcohol simply to feel at ease around others. Beneath that shyness was a gentle, empathetic soul who cared deeply about people and the world around him.

Eric grew up during a remarkable time in history. Born at the dawn of personal computers and video games, he lived through the rise of the internet and mobile technology, witnessed the end of the Cold War, endured the shock of 9/11, and navigated the global disruption of COVID-19. His lifetime also spanned some of the most important scientific breakthroughs of modern biology-from the invention of DNA sequencing and PCR to the Human Genome Project and the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9. Science was not just something Eric studied; it was the language through which he understood the world.

Education was central to Eric's life. He attended Florence Brasser Elementary School, graduated from Gates Chili High School, and went on to study at Michigan State University, Florida State University, Arizona State University, and the University of Rochester. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Arizona State University and later completed his Master's and PhD in Microbiology at the University of Rochester. Eric may not have excelled in organized sports-though he tried many, including baseball, hockey, skateboarding, trick biking, tennis, and hiking-but he excelled in the laboratory. There, his focus, creativity, and work ethic truly shone.

Eric devoted his professional life to creating novel genetic tools to study pathogenic bacteria. He took immense pride in his work and the inventions he developed, publishing 16 research papers and creating tools that will continue to help researchers cure disease and control pests long into the future. He worked tirelessly, often finishing assigned lab work before staying late to pursue his own experimental ideas. After earning his PhD, Eric held postdoctoral positions at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the USDA in Gainesville, Florida, and the University of Florida. When funding ran out at one point, his dedication was so strong that he volunteered for an entire year, hoping the work he loved could continue. During the COVID-19 pandemic, after being furloughed, Eric volunteered in a hospital lab testing patients for COVID-without hesitation or concern for his own risk. His final position was at Northern Arizona University.

Eric had strong convictions and was unafraid to question systems he felt were unjust. He disliked the politics of academia-especially how grants and jobs could hinge on connections rather than the quality of the science. He believed deeply that knowledge and resources should be shared, not hoarded. He often said that no one should have hundreds of millions of dollars while others struggle; money sitting in banks did no good when it could improve lives through wages, education, and opportunity. These beliefs reflected Eric's fundamental decency and his desire for fairness in the world.

Outside of work, Eric's passions were many. He loved marine aquariums, maintaining at least four elaborate saltwater tanks over the years-each filled with fish, corals, and invertebrates. Though moving meant leaving them behind, his fascination never faded. He was deeply involved in online aquarium forums, generously sharing his expertise, and became so knowledgeable that a company once tried to recruit him based on his understanding of the science behind marine ecosystems. If Eric didn't know an answer, he would research it thoroughly and return with information, delighted by the process of learning and sharing knowledge.

Music was another cornerstone of Eric's life. He loved rock music-especially The Smashing Pumpkins, his favorite band. In 1994, he broke his arm while crowd surfing at their Lollapalooza show, a story that captured both his devotion and his willingness to throw himself fully into what he loved. Eric taught himself to play guitar, later teaching his brother Dan everything he had learned. He played, listened to, wrote, recorded, and produced music, eventually recording many albums of his own original work and performing all the instruments himself. He built his own guitar amplifier, assembled personal computers, and collaborated with guitar pedal makers to create custom effects.

Eric's curiosity extended to everything he touched. As a child, he loved video games and was always the first to beat the newest one. As an adult, he read constantly-fantasy novels, scientific literature, and anything else that caught his interest. He loved films and shows like Dazed and Confused, Supernatural, and Lego Masters, marveling at creativity and imagination. He would often watch old comedies like Friends while working, saying it helped him concentrate since he knew every episode by heart and only had to look up at the best parts.

Family meant everything to Eric. His mother, Marcia, was a homemaker during his school years before working in accounting across Rochester. His father, David, was an electrical engineer who designed industrial control systems throughout a career marked by company mergers and change. Eric's older brother, Dan, was one of the most important people in his life. They lived together in Arizona while attending Arizona State University and, though they later lived in different states, stayed close through long conversations about music, science, and whatever else captured their minds. Eric also managed a Pizza Hut while in school, a job that famously earned him VIP tickets to the 1999 College Football National Championship-a game he proudly attended with Dan.

Eric formed deep, lasting friendships, especially with a close group from high school that included Jay Larkin, Chad Duevall, Jay Lange, Jack Stout, and Jim Marshall. They shared years of memories, trips to the Adirondacks, annual gatherings at Chad's home in North Carolina, and countless reunions whenever Eric returned to Rochester. While working in North Carolina, Eric often spent holidays with Chad's family, time he cherished deeply. He also maintained close friendships with Josh from Michigan State and Josh Dugan from his Arizona days. Though Eric sometimes regretted not staying in closer contact, he cared deeply for everyone he called a friend.

Eric found profound love with Dana Johnson, whom he met while working at the USDA. What began as a friendship quickly grew into a deep, committed relationship, and they became engaged. Together they shared years filled with love, laughter, and adventure-Disney annual passes, weekend trips around Florida, and a memorable winter weekend in Tennessee so Dana, a Florida native, could experience snow for the first time. In 2020, they moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, when Eric followed his lab, discovering a place they both loved, though Eric worried the altitude may have worsened his health. Ultimately, his ongoing physical and mental health struggles weighed heavily on him, and he returned home believing he was holding Dana back from the life she deserved.

Eric's greatest challenge was trying to find healthcare that treated him as a whole person rather than a collection of symptoms. He often joked that what he really needed was a "Dr. House." Despite these struggles, Eric remained loving, empathetic, intelligent, sincere, and deeply true to himself. Family, friends, and integrity were always his guiding values.

Eric believed that everyone he met left an imprint on him-whether as someone to learn from, admire, or reflect upon. In return, he gave others the gift of knowledge, curiosity, music, kindness, and authenticity. His legacy lives on in the science he advanced, the music he created, the ideas he shared, and the lives he quietly enriched. Eric LoVullo made the world better not by seeking attention, but by offering understanding, creativity, and compassion wherever he went.