Eric Lockwood Jr.
January 3, 1993 ~ May 9, 2021
Eric Lockwood, Jr., age 28 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, went to be with his Heavenly Father after a sudden, brief illness on Sunday, May 9, 2021 in the University of Iowa Hospital. A memorial service was held on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion, Iowa.
His survivors include his daughter, Ryleigha Lockwood; paternal grandfather, James Dee Lockwood, Sr.; maternal grandmother, Jeannette Willson; father, Eric Lockwood, Sr.; mother, Denise Lockwood; siblings, Adam Orton, Austin Lockwood, Amanda Silver (Lockwood); nephews, Elliot Orton, Oliver Orton, Louis Silver; and many extended family members and friends.
Eric enjoyed playing the drums, singing public karaoke, the great outdoors, and swimming and hiking with his brother and sister. His greatest fulfillment and joy was being a father to his daughter, Ryleigha.
Eric was born under gray skies in Humble, Texas. And for twenty-eight years, Eric was the Sunshine to everyone's gray skies until the very day he left this world, taking our Sunshine away. He spread joy through laughter, and gave kindness and understanding. Eric would make a fool of himself just to lift someone else up--he was selfless, always thinking about others. More than once, he literally handed strangers the shirt off his back because Eric never met a stranger. He loved all people, and he never realized that his life was the truest success story because he gave all of his heart away, until there nothing was left to give. His legacy is that he will live on and on in countless people's hearts. Love is eternal--without end. So it's, not a "Goodbye," but, "Rest in peace until we see you again, blessed one."
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You are in our thoughts. With deepest sympathy,
The good die young. Eric’s one-of-a-kind humor always made me laugh. He never wanted to allow anyone around him to be sad without trying to cheer them up. Such a giver–he literally gave his shirt off his back more than once. He was born in Humble, TX, twenty-eight years ago. And every day of twenty-eight years, he’s been my “Sunshine, My Only Sunshine,” chasing away all my gray skies till the day he left! The void of my world without him is almost unbearable. He was too young to go. I didn’t want my Sunshine taken away from me, but The LORD needed to take him back home, and I say, “Not goodbye to you, blessed one, but so long till we meet again.” I love you. -Mom
Eric, I am so sorry to hear about Eric’s passing. Sending condolences to you and your family.
My brother Eric was a kind hearted guy. He was always concerned for the people around him. Always trying to be kind to everyone he met. He was generous. He valued the people in his life over any posession that he owned. He would give freely to others even when he had little to share. He loved animals. He could make friends with pretty much any animal that would let him close. He was always an entertainer and a musician at heart. He enjoyed playing the drums. If he could have picked any profession, he would have been a rock star. He had a sense of humor and tried to make people laugh. He wanted to make people happy. Eric was outgoing and adventurous. He was never afraid to go out and experience life. He loved meeting people and making friends. Above all, Eric loved his family and friends. He would want all of us to be happy and to live good lives. If he were here, he would be doing his best to cheer us all up right now. – Austin
You never could see that you were the biggest success anyone could be. You gave everything you had till their was nothing left to give. You are a true treasure! This world didn’t deserve you. I love and miss you so much. You’re always close to me. I carry you in my heart until I leave this place to join you where you are. –Mom
Sometimes I don’t understand what the meaning of this life is. I don’t understand how someone as beautiful and as pure of heart as you could be taken away. Perhaps this world was not good enough for you. Perhaps you are some other place serving your purpose there. That’s what I believe because that’s what I must believe. To summarize who you were by the awfulness you were dealt with in this life is not fair and certainly not accurate. You deserved so much more. The world is indebted to you and should have given you more. It should have given you more. Know that we will never forget you. I will never forget you. I will remember you by a very simple but wonderful time when we were kids and we lied in the yard in sleeping bags, watching the stars and talking about space. It’s a memory that brings me such joy, and I only wish I had given you more experiences like that. You were, and will always be, perfect. -Adam