His favorite youth memories were his teens spent in Hanau, Germany, and he often talked fondly and shared stories about those years. The family settled in Yakima after leaving Europe. He was very popular in school and excelled in sports from an early age, including football, baseball, basketball, track, wrestling, skiing (water and snow), jeep runs, motocross. He even hill climbed for Suzuki for a short time. He was also a chess champion, beating a grand master three times for his first ivory chess set at age 12. He taught his sons to play equally as well.
Eric was a marksman, an accomplished hunter (mostly, birds, deer, elk, bear, boar), and trained hunting dogs. At times he guided people for birds, and one season he himself shot over 300 chucker! His real passion was fishing, all kinds, particularly bass fishing. He and his sons won many a bass tournament. Eric, his sons, and his father even developed some of their own jig/lure color combinations.
He loved his home in beautiful Bonners Ferry and living so close to the water. He was out on Lake Pend Oreille every chance he got. Eric was truly remarkable, mastered anything he put his mind to, and could be very charming.
Beyond Eric’s many personal achievements, he was a generous man who would give you the shirt off his back. He loved to share his love of fishing, teaching many people how to really fish – taking them out on his bass boat for hours at a time.
He was, and is, a beloved Papa to his grandchildren. He taught them the value of developing their skills and the value of hard work, often paying them to help with chores around his home in North Idaho.
Eric is survived by his wife and soulmate of 42 years, Cathy Thaxton, sons, Casey, Jeffrey (Brianna), David (Danielle), and Stephen, grandchildren Payton, Aubrie, Tanner, Aviya, Chace, Emily, Juliana and Xavier, mother Sydney Thaxton, Yakima, and his sisters Sue (Tom) Carlson, Lorene Thaxton (Ken Lawson), and Kathleen Blakk.
He was preceded by his father, retired military and sheriff’s deputy Don Thaxton.