In 2011 our good friend and fellow Delray Beach, FL firefighter, Eric Patrie, had a seizure out of the blue. He was taken to Delray Medical Center and shortly after, diagnosed with cancerous brain tumor. It’s called a glioma, anaplastic astrocytoma to be exact, and it was already at grade 4; which is serious. He was only 36 years old. During the 16 month long battle, Eric and his family endured many brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatments. When these treatments weren’t working, he traveled every two weeks to Duke University in North Carolina to participate in clinical trials for experimental cancer treatments.
Eric was an extraordinary man, loved by so many people, and the kind of guy who would do anything for you. He was always the first one to help when anyone needed it, and chose a career in which he could help others. Eric was promoted to Paramedic in 1999 and then to Driver Engineer in 2003. He attained many certifications throughout his years with Delray Beach Fire Rescue including Hazmat Technician and Dive Rescue for water rescues and recoveries. Eventually he was assigned to the Special Operations Station. Eric liked a challenge and he liked to help people. He was selfless to the core. During his entire battle, he never complained, nor once said, “why me?” He was the best friend anyone could have.
He married his high school sweetheart, Kim, in October of 2000, a year after starting his job with the fire department in Delray Beach, and they celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary and 22 years together. They have two beautiful daughters, Morgan who just turned 5 in January and Riley who is just over a year old. This is not the life Eric and Kim had planned. On November 11, 2012, Eric lost his battle with brain cancer and his young family is without him.
Eric’s friends and family, including his Fire Department family, are putting together various fundraisers to help Eric’s family deal with the financial burden of this devastating disease. They need your help. This website was set up in Eric’s name which will announce these upcoming events as we schedule them. You can make donations directly to the Trust Fund which has been set up to help the family.