Eric James Tate1989 - 2022

I think about you all the time and miss you very much. WoW is finally gonna have player housing. About damn time. I'm gonna play the new expansion in your honor when it comes out. Since I used to watch you guys play it during your high school years. A lot of my favorite childhood memories include you -- especially cause you were always around. As Kristin put it, wish I could call you (or send you post cards like I used to do). Love you, and I carry you in my heart.

Hey bud, thinking of you. Wish I could call you. I wish I had photos of us to look back on… I have a few of you, but I took them.. long before 'selfies'. Anyway.. love you.

Eric, miss you, my friend. Miss the depth of the conversations that we had on a multitude of topics from the simple to the complex. Miss sharing the different ideas that we had talked about. Miss sharing the back and forth of listening to different types music with you. When you would be unhappy, I miss the way you would crack a little smile every time that I would play some "Foreigner - Juke Box Hero". So, to anyone who reads this, play "Juke Box Hero" and remember Eric, today.

Happy Birthday! I think about you often -- recently a new Monster Hunter game came out. It's poorly optimized, but I remember the previous title was one of your last played games on Steam. So I wondered how you would've liked the new one. I can still hear your laugh and see your smile. You've always brightened everyone's day. So to speak, you made us all have a baja blast. I miss you loads.

It's fall, 25 years ago at right about this time me and my family would be visiting your Boy Scout pumpkin patch… thinking of you. It's been a tough year. My husband and I buried our son and the little glimpse of solace I can find is that maybe he's visiting your pumpkin patch in heaven <3 miss you xox

I know I'm technically a day early for your two year death anniversary, but I figured it's better to be early than late. I'm not sure if we'll lose power with this hurricane (Milton), so I wanted to write this out now. The last time we evacuated for a hurricane was Irma, and we went to your house in Spring Ridge. I remember we were all playing a funny card game, and Arya was getting all the pets. The goodest of good girls. It was really nice you let us all stay with you. There was a whole bunch of us including Tom and Heather and I think Andrew and Patricia even showed up later on. I think about you often. You always had a...

I think about you almost every day and today is no different. A song comes on, a meme on reddit, or the lego banana man in my car leads me to reminisce of all the times we shared together. Whether it be camp Grandmas during the summers or the all night Halo sessions or your birthday weeks in Orlando, every one of them brings a smile to my face because we did it together. I'd give anything to have one more late night deep discussion or a raid night on WoW and hear that laugh again. I miss you terribly, but I know you're in a better place. Happy Birthday cousin. Love you always Nubby.

Eric, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. Since you used to like the jokes I put in my postcards, here's a good one for you and your family. A man walks into a seafood store with a trout under his arm. He asks, "Do you make fish cakes?" "Yes, we do," replied the fishmonger. "Great," the man says, "it's his Birthday." Just a little humor there. Today I'll be eating a Baconator meal with Kevin and Leslie in your honor and to celebrate your memory, along with booting up Halo 3 tonight when I get home. You are very missed. Cheers to you and the impact you left on everyone. We all love you!

I still think about you every day. You are missed very much. I keep thinking of all the things I want to talk to you about and sometimes even go to text or call you still. I'll never stop thinking of you ❤️

Today has been on my mind for quite awhile, and yet I've been having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. Eric, I'm always thinking of you, and I'm very grateful that I had someone like you in my life. You were always around the most out of Kevin's friends, and whenever I think on my childhood, you were a very big part of it. I miss you a lot, and I hope you know that you left such a big impact on all of us.

Today was hard. I still can't believe that you're gone and I'm having so much trouble putting all the things I want to say down. The familial title of "cousin" does not do justice to our relationship. So many great times we had and countless memories we've shared. The kid who had ten+ people to claim him as their best friend. It takes a special kind of person for that to happen. Everything we did together meant the world to me and I could only hope it was the same for you. I miss you terribly Eric but I have no doubt that we will see each other again. Love you Nubby.

I've known you forever, we were friends since we were born, yearly trips to Virginia and Florida for our families to see each other, late nights playing Zelda on Nes or Dino checkers when we were kids, the big guns club, the bolshevicks, lego days, listening to sublime while we get high scores on tony hawk, Lan nights with the boys, living together in Orlando and Spring Hill the times we'd go months without seeing each other cause life was busy but when we got back together it's like we never missed a step, i don't know life without you in it and I will never not know life without you in it because i know you're always gonna be looking down on us smiling,...

Eric, whenever I think of you, the first thing that pops into my head is how you were a good friend to everyone. Especially to my brother Kevin; and truthfully, you've always been my favorite out of his friends because I felt at ease with you the most. I have always struggled connecting with others and yet I never have with you. I felt like I could talk to you about everything and nothing at the same time. So, I'd like to thank you for being my friend, and I wish I could've thanked you a lot sooner for that. You may or may not have known this, but your friendship really meant the world to me. Some of my favorite memories growing up are...

Dear Eric, I am sure that you are with your beloved Dad now exploring some new cosmic pathways, unknown planets and galaxies, boldly going "where no man has gone before". You will remain in my ❤️ and soul forever.

Eric has meant so much to me throughout our entire relationship. He has also been so many things to me, my best friend and the love of my life. He had so much to give to everyone around him and he was truly a light in this world. He cared about everyone in his life so much and would always be there to help you with anything you needed. My favorite memories of him were basically just talking to him about anything and everything for hours and the way we would laugh so much. We had the most amazing time when we went on a cruise for my best friends wedding. It was so carefree and we had the most fun when we were off...

To my dearest friend, I am grateful to have the privilege of knowing you for 25 incredible years. Your jolly and happy demeanor, combined with your genuine nature, made you a true light in my life. Our friendship, forged since the days of third grade, has been a constant source of joy and laughter. Our shared passion for video games brought us countless hours of fun and memories that I will treasure forever. I will cherish our all-nighters playing Halo/Starcraft/Diablo/WoW and chugging Bawls (no homo). Growing up, I was reserved and scared to put myself out there, scared of going out of my comfort zone. You were always the person I wish I could be more like. Nothing stopped you from doing something you thought...

Eric, I've known you since before you were born. Your smile and your laugh was contagious. Your hugs were epic. From Virginia to Florida you were always there hanging with Tom, Jaymes, and Kimberly. The trip to Disney with nanny and pop 6 rooms and so much fun. I will miss you forever. I love you. Love always until I see you again, Aunt Dawn. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Erk it's Coopy. I want to thank you for being best friends with my brother, Mike aka Mike Nasty. You guys were friends since elementary school way back in the Notre Dame days. Although I was young I remember you guys playing video games, playing paintball, and drinking Bawls energy drinks by the caseload. I also remember you took a liking to abuelita's fried rice. She would always make extra and set some aside for you. I gave you the nickname Erk Nowitzki after NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki, however the similarities do not translate beyond the name. Legend has it, when you played on the school team, you once shot the ball completely over the backboard, which lead me to wonder how you even made...

To my friend, my brother, and my Pookie… It has been almost three months since you passed away and I still struggle to find the right words to convey the love and admiration that I have for you. It is still difficult to comprehend that you're gone. It's hard to imagine because you're still here in so many ways, and the comforting part of that is you always will be. You remain present in every single one of us who had the honor and privilege of knowing you throughout your life. There are things you just don't see in the moment, and when I reflect on the 19+ years I had the honor of spending with you I see how many lives you have changed...