Eric Pharr Etheridge passed away Jan. 9, 2022, at the age of 62.
He was born in 1959 in the state of Georgia to Roger Etheridge and Rena Faye Norby, nee Ritchey. Once he completed high school there, off he went to Cal Tech and remained on the West Coast the rest of his life. He frequently spoke fondly of his time at Cal Tech.
In 1981, with his degree in hand, Eric started his career with Tektronix. He was a brilliant engineer, and his name is on multiple patents. Even in his down time, he enjoyed working on electronics. He eventually settled in at the company Skyworks in Beaverton, where he worked until shortly before his passing.
In 1990, he married Gail Susan Godfrey, the love of his life. They had a beautiful life together, and Gail succeeded in dragging him away from work once in a while so they could make many trips together to Europe and Asia.
Unfortunately, Eric lost Gail in 2019 and never stopped missing her terribly. His remaining family members were in other parts of the country, but Eric, ever a believer in the importance of family, stayed in close contact with all. About half the time, probably none of us understood what he was talking about because he was so dang smart.
Eric is survived by his mother, Rena Faye Norby; his three siblings, Kim, Kathy and Bill, his Aunt Grace and Uncle William; as well as nieces; nephews and cousins. He was an absolutely unique person and will be missed by all.
Published by The Oregonian from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20, 2022.
