Eric "EJ" Joseph Marks

Eric Joseph (EJ) Marks passed away March 7, 2025, at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice. I was 4 when my brother Eric was born and thought he was the best baby doll ever! He was fond of his sheriff's outfit and superheroes. ("I'm gonna get those bad guys!") I loved helping him "fly" like Superman, until I helped a little too much and he flew across the living room. Despite my fears that I'd surely killed him, he bounced up from the couch and begged, "Again!"

Around Dad, he shared a love of football, pulling his chair and Dick Butkus NFL toy up in front of the TV and cheering when Dad cheered, and similarly yelling at the refs. He wanted to be like Dad, wearing little suits and ties instead of the cute kids' clothes Mom tried to talk him into.

As he grew, he joined every sport he could, sometimes two in one season, rarely getting a day off. He did it with a fervor only he could muster. I remember the Little League fans affectionately calling him "Hot Dog" for sliding into first base, even when there was no danger of being tagged out. In his sophomore year at Highland High School, he and the Trojans played the Championship game in the Hoosier Dome (now site of Lucas Oil Stadium). Go big or go home! Eric always went big.

On New Year's Eve, 1990, he married Cheri Moffitt and they moved to Oregon, where he resided until his death. He loved the towering forests and trips along the coast. He continued his interests in physiology and fitness, helping anyone with an interest.

Eric's 5 decades on this earth seem too short, but they were filled to the brim with love, laughter, music and good food. He's at rest among the forests he loved. As for me, I will go on fighting those "bad guys" and when I need help, I'll just reach for a picture of him and...Wonder Twin Powers Activate!