After a 4 1/2 year battle with brain cancer, our friend and colleague, Eric Mitchell, left us in much the same way he lived his life - without wanting to make too much fuss, with kindness to all those who took care of him the last few weeks and by continuing to make us laugh with his cheeky jokes.

However, this is not to say that the last five weeks have been easy. Eric spent four of those weeks in a hospital with 'round the clock comfort care from caregivers, nurses and doctors. He spent his last week in hospice care in the comfort of his home. Over that time, Eric's closest friends and family made sure he knew we loved him, would miss him and that we'd ensure his daughters, whom he loved more than anything in this world, would be taken care of. We read messages sent to him by his colleagues. We sat with him, held his hand, recalled memories together and ensured our friend/dad/son/brother/colleague was comfortable.

But, Eric would not want us to be sad for too long. He would have wanted us to socialize and celebrate in his honor. Thus, we will gather to celebrate the brightness and joy that Eric added to our lives and to recall all the ways, big and small, in which he touched our lives and made us better.

As we start to heal from the reality of losing Eric, we ask for your support in covering the memorial and some of the healthcare costs. Eric's family has upended their lives in Northern California over the last few weeks and months to ensure his care. As things settle in, we'd like to contribute to making this easier for them in any way that we can.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your friendship and support.