Eric Zapata Baltazar

The family briefly lived in Detroit, MI, with relatives, then Warren, OH, where Eric attended preschool, before settling in Tallahassee in the spring of 1978. While a student at Trinity Catholic School, he was in Boy Scouts and played piano including in local and state competitions. He started at Maclay School in eighth grade and graduated with the class of 1991. The eighties and nineties provided Eric and his sister with many great pop culture moments, with MTV (and all the music genres it featured, from Britpop and rock to hip hop and metal), Doctor Who, Star Wars and other films, superhero comics, and sports figures in tennis and basketball. The siblings also enjoyed classical music, their mom's favorite tunes from the sixties, their dad’s favorite big band and swing music, and disco. Attending concerts at the Civic Center, often with our folks, made us huge music fans.

At Maclay he traveled to England with the boys' soccer team, staying with a host family, then later our family hosted their son. Eric also played guitar and tennis. For college, he went on to Loyola and UNO in New Orleans, studying jazz guitar and trumpet. He made the move to NYC to attend the New School, joining his sister in the Big Apple. He worked for many years at the famed jazz club, the Village Vanguard, then at Menchanko-Tei and Ichiran restaurants, always keeping up with the jazz world, making new friends while practicing his musical instruments. He was recently taking Japanese classes courtesy of Ichiran restaurant.

During his years in NYC, he was a regular churchgoer, and, after his nephews were born, spent his days off picking them up from school and attending their school functions. Our parents visited regularly too and with other close family nearby we spent many happy occasions together. He especially enjoyed a trip to Paris with his mother. All the while Eric kept curious about books, music, and pop culture and loved discussing any and all topics.

In fall 2025 he made the move back to Tallahassee to help his parents, especially with tech support and music playlists. He went to Mass at Blessed Sacrament and Good Shepherd, attended free FSU concerts and football games, trumpet lessons, and fitness training sessions. He treasured reconnecting with the Filipino community that grew in the ensuing years after he'd left in the nineties.

This year he started a job he loved, as a porter for food services at TMH, going to every floor and once again making friends among his coworkers. He told us the hours flew by like nothing at all. Eric was home.

His family wishes to thank his friends and colleagues for giving him joy, and to thank the dedicated staff of TMH for all their care. We will miss his humor, persistence, curiosity, and empathy for others. We'll treasure all his laughter, different styles of clothes, and discussions of music and movies.

Eric is survived by parents, Merli and Efren; sister, Edith; brother-in-law, Stephen; nephews, Matthew and James; and his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Donations can be made to Good Shepherd Catholic Church.

Visitation will be held at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 700 Timberlane Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32312, on July 24, 2026, from 9:30 am to 11:00 am.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 4665 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32309, on July 24, 2026, at 12:00 pm.