Eric James Olberding

Eric James Olberding, age 34, passed away unexpectedly on 9/24/2025 in Arlington, MA. He was born on 7/28/1991 in Knoxville, TN, to Robert and Terry Olberding. Eric was a man of many interests and talents. He loved learning and was a brilliant scholar, graduating summa cum laude with a BS in mathematics from the University of Tennessee and a MS in statistics from the University of Colorado Denver, and was recently working on a masters in computer science from Georgia Tech. He enjoyed music and was teaching himself to play the guitar. Eric loved to play games and make people laugh. He especially enjoyed participating in improv comedy and made many friends there.

Eric was an environmentalist who lived simply, riding his bicycle everywhere. He enjoyed nature and outdoor activities including hiking, camping and rock climbing. Eric was a kind and generous man - he fed the homeless, volunteered at animal shelters, and donated blood. He felt sorry for one poor stray dog and brought him home; we still have sweet Ollie to this day.

Eric is survived by his parents, Robert and Terry Olberding, brother Mark and sister-in-law Hannah, nephew Aiden, uncles Steve Brown (Carole) and David Hardgrave, and cousins Matt (Mallerie), Emily (Steve), David (Dawn), Michael (Mary) and Lisa (Elliott).

Eric’s improv comedy friends in the Boston area are planning a memorial service on October 26th at 1 pm at the Green Room in Union Square, 62 Bow Street, Somerville MA. The family will hold a private service in the future.

If you would like to honor Eric’s memory, please consider donating to an animal shelter or feeding the homeless. Kindness is the greatest gift.

We will forever cherish our memories of Eric, and are thankful for the time we had together. The world was a better place with him in it.