April 1, 1930 – December 23, 2014
After a brief battle with cancer, Eric died peacefully surrounded by his wife of 55 years, Berit and his immediate family.Eric’s Norman heritage gave him his wanderlust and questioning mind; he became an inspirational teacher, first at Lansing College, U.K., then at Le Rosey International School in Switzerland, and after a stint in the U.S., a founding member of faculty at Pearson College, Canada. He was a passionate believer in international education – he was an inaugural member of ECIS (European Council of International Schools), and on the ground floor launching the I.B. (International Baccalaureate). Eric was an adventurous traveller leading his family and students on sometimes risky journeys. He was modest, never blowing his own trumpet; he was diplomatic, and had a quiet, often a poignant sense of humour. Berit has lost her best friend; children, John, Charles and Catharina, their loving and caring father. His grandchildren, Alisha and Cole, Anna and Alexandra, and his great-grandson, Zaiden, will miss him deeply. A celebration of Eric’s life will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 2:00 pm at McCall Bros., 1400, Vancouver St., Victoria. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eric’s memory to Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
11 Responses
Berit, I’m so sorry for your loss. I will keep you and the rest of your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Eric was such a wonderful gentleman. I shall miss him terribly. I always loved seeing him on Thursdays.
Dear Berit,
I would like to express my sincere condolences. I’ll always remember and treasure the times I could spend with Eric who clearly was an wonderful listener, advisor and friend. I had hoped to see you both in 2015 in Canada!
My thoughts are with you and your family in these difficult times.
In loving memory, Ariane (PC year 15)
I am so sorry to hear of Eric’s passing away. I enjoyed working with Eric when he chaired the Parks and Trails committee for Metchosin. He was so kind and thoughtful with everyone. He will be missed by so many people that he touched during his lifetime.
Dear Berit, I am saddened to hear of Eric’s.passing. Eric was a very much valued member of the hot tub club at the Gordon Head pool, He was not only a very good expositor, he was also a good listener.
We are very sad for your loss and send our deepest sympathy. We always greatly enjoyed our chats with Eric as we were walking our dogs in Mount Doug Park.
I am so very sorry for your loss.
I am so very, very sorry, Berit. Thinking of you and your family in these sad days.
Dear Berit,
We are saddened ,to hear,of the loss of Eric.Our thoughts are with you,during this very difficult time.Losing someone who has been in your life, for so long , must be very difficult, for you. and your children.It is not easy for any of you, to go through this.It is especially difficult at Christmas time,I know this having experienced losses at this time also.Our thoughts are with you, and if there is anything that we can do, to help, please tell us.
.Deb and Rick
We were most saddened to hear of Eric’s sudden passing away. We regret we will not be able to attend Eric’s celebration of life this Saturday for we will be out of the country. We wanted to offer our condolences to Berit and the family.
As a colleague of Eric at Pearson College, I was reflecting on what a wonderful friend and inspiring figure he was to me and to all who worked or studied there. Eric made the most complicated tasks seem simple. Organizing project week or a special event seemed quite effortless when Eric took charge.
When Eric spoke at a Faculty or Village meeting, he always put matters into perspective and brought reason into the equation. He spoke concisely and reassured us with his authority and many years of experience.
As a teacher, I recall how Eric spent countless hours in the mathroom preparing his students for the dreaded IB examinations . His students laboured away on practise papers while Eric calmly and steadily prepared them well for the battery of tests that followed.
I remember his friendly, welcoming smile. He will be missed.
Jerry