Eric Rothrock

Eric S. Rothrock, 69, of Erie, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, March 15, 2026. He was born in Erie on March 11, 1957, the son of the late James E. and Carmelita (Hines) Rothrock.

Eric was a Master Jeweler who served families across the greater Erie area for over 50 years. His experience with jewelry began in 1973 as a student at McDowell High School. He later earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry/Metalsmithing and K-12 Art Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (EUP). He then completed a variety of advanced, specialized courses, including through the Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths Association. Throughout his career in Erie, Eric worked with a number of notable jewelers, including Steve Becker, Javier Acevedo, John Filip, Jack Dempsey, and Bus Doubet. In the 1990s, Eric co-founded and operated The Park Gallery in Lawrence Park, where he sold a variety of hand-crafted art, ceramics, and jewelry in addition to offering custom design and repair services. In 1998, Eric continued his career by joining Dempsey & Baxter, where he specialized in the casting and fabrication of custom jewelry. Later in his career, Eric combined his passion for jewelry with his love for teaching, returning to EUP to teach seminars on jewelry repair and stone setting.

Many of Eric's family and friends will remember him for his eclectic taste in music and his passion for sports. Eric enjoyed music spanning decades and genres, and remained an avid listener of college radio and alternative rock in his later years. Eric also enjoyed attending concerts with family and friends, seeing some of his favorite bands-such as The Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, and The Smithereens-in recent years. Eric was a longtime youth baseball coach, and had some of his proudest moments coaching his son, stepsons, and grandchildren on the diamond. A passionate fan of the Florida State Seminoles, Eric closely followed college football, often proudly wearing Garnet and Gold on gamedays.

Eric is survived by his son, Jason E. Rothrock, stepsons Anthony (Jillian) Russo and Jordan (Nicole) Russo, grandchildren Luca, Liam, Kinsley, Raleigh, Alexa, and Casen, ex-wives Darlene (Bayus) Russo and Mary (Martin) Rhodes, his sister Lynn, and nephews Julian and Cameron.

Friends are invited on Saturday, March 21, 2026, to Kloecker Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 2502 Sassafras St. Erie, PA 16502, from 5 PM until the time of the service at 6:45 PM. Please send condolences to www.kloeckerfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Erie Humane Society https://eriehumanesociety.org or The ANNA Shelter https://www.theannashelter.com in Eric's honor.