Obituary of Eric Eugene Hirtzel

Eric Eugene Hirtzel was born a Christmas baby on December 25, 1965, in San Mateo, California, the first child of Stanley and Tanya (Vedeneiv) Hirtzel. His early years were spent in San Francisco, primarily in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. Part of a tight-knit community of Russian immigrants on his mother’s side, Eric was partially fluent in Russian. Many of the summers of his childhood were memorably spent with his younger brother, James, and his mother’s family at their Russian River house in Guerneville. He also enjoyed fishing and boating with his father. Eric moved with his family to Galt, California, in 1979 and graduated from Galt High School with the class of 1984; he finished high school a semester early, having accelerated his required classes. He was particularly adept at electronics. After high school, he joined the Army and served 2 years. He was honorably discharged with a disability caused by an injury received in the course of training. After military service, he moved to Florida, where he married and had a daughter, Ellen (Ellie), who was born in Jacksonville. Eric worked as an engineer at Johnson and Johnson’s Viskaton facility in Jacksonville. After suffering debilitating lung damage from a bout of hospital-acquired MRSA, Eric retired and lived the remainder of his life in Jacksonville, where he enjoyed fishing and the warm weather. Outgoing, inquisitive and gregarious, Eric greatly enjoyed talking to people, including strangers. In addition to the damage caused by MRSA, Eric’s mobility was limited in later years by a necrotic bone condition that required double hip replacement surgery. He was forced to manage a great amount of pain; his family takes some comfort in his untimely passing that he is at last free of pain. Eric passed away on October 8, 2022. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, his paternal grandparents, maternal grandfather and cousin Nathan. He is survived by his daughter, Ellie, brother James, grandmother Vera Telegin, a niece and two nephews, three aunts, four uncles and several cousins. Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, October 19, at Jacksonville National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate in Eric’s memory to the Wounded Warrior Project.