Erick Techman Franco

Our beloved Erick Techman Franco passed away on January 30, 2025. He would keep everyone connected and laughing. The jokes he told in his raspy voice and his outgoing personality and laugh will be missed by all who knew him and by all who loved him.

Erick is survived by his Mother, Judith Techman and Step-Father, David Chavez. As well as his siblings: Henry Amaral, Nora Amaral and Victoria Chavez.

He was also a fun uncle to his nieces and nephews.

Erick played football throughout high school and then developed an interest in wrestling when he joined the Tigard High School wrestling team.

Erick Franco was the No.1 seed in Feb 2012, in the 285 pound weight class for the regional tournament. His hard work and determination showed when he won the championship for the Regional Wrestling Tournament in Salem. Erick also loved mixed martial arts. He trained and was part of the River City warriors in Tigard OR; and was a Mixed Martial Arts fighter at the Rumble at the Roseland in Portland with an amateur fight record of 2 wins (2022), 1 losses (2023) and 0 draws.

Erick had a love for God, and his smile & laughter were just part of his ability to light up every room. He played disc golf, was adventurous, and loved to explore the outdoors, camping, hiking, going to the beach and the lake. Erick loves nature, especially night-time when he enjoyed stargazing. He found joy in sunsets, and spending time outside. Monkeys were his favorite animal, even though he once told his girlfriend Caity he would be a wolf if he was an animal.

Growing up, Erick’s favorite snack was hard boiled eggs. Once, when he was 4 years old, he asked his grandmother to boil some eggs for him - she said no, because it was late at night. She found him asleep the next morning with an egg in his hand. Erick loves to eat, he always added salt or hot sauce to every meal. He would even compete and win hot sauce competitions. Erick also loved trying new restaurants and breweries. Erick was adventurous with food, and was always up to try new foods and beers. Erick and Caity loved pizza, always on the hunt to find the best slice together; and they joked about creating a pizza journal series online, where together they would try different types of pizza and share their thoughts and recommendations.

As a child he loved action figures, and had a giant collection and would gather them all to send them to battle and fly all over his room. His favorite color was blue and winter was his favorite season, he enjoyed the cold weather and snow. If he ever got a tattoo it would be Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire Cat’s quote “We’re all mad here”

His favorite song was You Spin Me Round by Dead or Alive. His mom dedicated Bad To The Bone to him. He would listen to all music, especially the 70s, and his favorite artists include Pink Floyd, MGMT, and Neil Young, with “Old Man” as an especially cherished song. Erick was always dancing, even if nobody else joined in. Anyone who attended an event or party with him undoubtedly saw him start dance parties multiple times.

Erick enjoyed comedy such as Key & Peele, Dave Chapelle, Shane Gillis and so many more. He loved sports, especially wrestling, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, Disc Golf, Football (His team will always be the Dallas Cowboys).

Erick loved TV & Movies and always had the best recommendations. He somehow knew what people would enjoy and would match their personality. Just another example of how he connected with everyone. He loves the laughter, depth, and the stories and intensity it brings. Some of his favorites were Stonehearst Asylum, Fight Club, Shawshank Redemption, Rick & Morty, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Ted Lasso, Vikings, Walking Dead and his favorite, Game of Thrones; he even dressed as Jon Snow for his and Caity’s 1st Halloween together. He was a BIG fan of Bruce Willis, and always enjoyed sharing how he met him once in a bar.

He loves people. He loves to listen and tell stories, he never judges anyone; they could be a homeless person or a complete stranger in a bar, and he would give them the same attention and respect as the President. Christmas is his favorite holiday, another way he would connect with others, and he looked forward to it every year. He loved to be Santa Claus in full costume.

He and Caity were looking forward to moving in and building a life together. They first met during the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020. On their first date, everything went wrong. An umbrella went flying, they encountered a stray dog, and helped him to find his owners. Caity spilled a drink and embarrassed herself. Even though everything felt like it went wrong, Erick and Caity both loved that night together and knew it felt right to be together. They decided to take things slowly and build their commitment. Even though it was scary, they were both willing to risk it all on Love. Caity said she and Erick were home to each other and had their “girls”, Ava and their cat, Lucy as their own little family.

Rest in Peace, Erick Techman Franco. Your laughter, light and love will be missed. May you shine throughout eternity with the joy you brought to those you loved.

A memorial service for Erick will be held at Young's Funeral home on Sunday, February 16, 2025 from 1:00 - 5:00pm.