Eric Crabtree Death, Obituary – the untimely passing of our son, Dr. Eric Charles Crabtree, brought about a sea change in our lives that we will never be able to reverse. With God’s help, we came to the conclusion that we would not let our tremendous anguish to determine how we would behave here on earth. There is a purpose behind hardship, and God wants to use us to bring about the completion of His plan and the improvement of the lives of others. Eric was raised in a household that instilled in him the value of assisting those in need and viewing it not as a burden but as an opportunity to do good in the world.
The question that arose for us was how we could heal, how we could continue living our lives, and how we might help other people. We wanted to make an attempt to recover, but at the same time, we did not want to lose sight of how much we loved Eric or the wonderful memories we had with him. Through the course of our lives, we have come to understand that bestowing the benefits of our time and resources upon other people may prove to be of great assistance. There is no greater feeling than giving from the goodness of one’s heart to offer hope and health to others, which in turn helps us heal the brokenness in our own heart.
Giving from the kindness of one’s heart to offer hope and health to others is the highest form of giving. We began exploring the various options available to us in order to respect both our child and those who are going through difficult times. We were looking for a way to help make Eric’s life meaningful and productive, not only while he was still living but even after he had passed away, and we were looking for a strategy that would help us do that. We began a discussion with our children and their significant others about our thoughts and emotions, and we included everyone in the discourse.