Eric A. Smith

It is with great sorrow to report that we suddenly lost Eric on May 14, 2022. He passed away from natural causes shortly after arriving home to Oak Park, IL to celebrate his 51st birthday on May 16 with his beloved mother Christine. Eric was extremely close to his mother and took great care of her even though he lived across the country in Oakland, California. 

Eric worked for HealthRIGHT360 in San Francisco as the manager of the community outreach program. He was a certified substance abuse counselor and community mental health worker. Eric was passionate about the work he did in helping people improve their lives whether it was recovery, healthcare, access to job training, financial assistance, or the struggles of homelessness. This work fit perfectly with Eric’s personality: he was accepting and nonjudgmental of everyone, and had a deep compassion and empathy for all people. Eric generously shared his loving heart and happy disposition with the many lives he touched through his work and in his relationships. 

Eric had a special time following the Grateful Dead with his friends. He enjoyed listening to music and going to concerts. He still rooted for his Chicago sports teams. Most of all he loved engaging in conversations, telling stories and sharing bad jokes. 

Eric loved camping and vacationing with his family, especially the annual family vacation to Door County, Wisconsin. He loved swimming, hiking, golfing and sitting with his family by the bay in front of a roaring fire. More than anything, he loved simply being home with his mother, visiting family, and his Chicago friends.

Eric will be greatly missed by his many friends and by his family.  Survived by his mother: Christine Salstrand Smith; his aunts and uncles: Eric Salstrand and Mary Murphy, Karen Salstrand, Mark and Lori Salstrand, Sarah and John Poletto; his cousins: Sam,  Rachel, Jacob, Elizabeth, Elena, Jack, Joe, Mark, and Anna.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.