Eric Will passed away unexpectedly at home on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007.
He was born on Sheffield Island, off the coast of Connecticut, on Jan. 12, 1930 to German immigrants, Eric Will Sr. and Margaret Burmeister. Eric’s father was an estate manager and semi-pro boxer.
The family eventually bought a dairy farm in Seymour, Conn., where Eric graduated from high school. Eric was a Sigma Chi brother and earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry at the University of Connecticut. He garnered a second bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Yale University, where he was also inducted into the honor societies of Chi Epsilon and Tau Beta Pi.
Eric served as a second lieutenant in the Army during the Korean War. He was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious conduct associated with his role in assisting the Corps of Engineers in the reconstruction of the city of Seoul.
His professional service spanned nearly 50 years. He worked summers as a forest firefighter during his years at the University of Connecticut and as a surveyor while he was going to Yale. Immediately after graduation, he joined the international civil engineering firm Harza, where he specialized in water and hydro projects. He would later manage projects for other important civil engineering firms like PRC, Dames & Moore, and EDAW, as well as for USAID.
During his career, he worked on many major projects in Africa, Asia and South and Central America, including the famous Guri hydroelectric plant in Bolivar, Venezuela.
He was well known for his meticulous project planning, sense of adventure, and his “can-do” attitude in spite of obstacles and adversity. On one project in Guatemala, Eric demonstrated his mettle as a “hands-on” problem solver by plunging into a river and swimming along its length in order to find a better site for an important dam, since there was no other feasible way to get through the jungle to do the survey. Eric’s family sometimes accompanied him on these international adventures, such as the time they went to Ethiopia for a year when he worked on a dam that would help electrify the capitol city, Addis Ababa.
Eric and his family lived for nearly a decade in Chicago, and then for another 15 years in Denver, Colo. They also spent nearly four years in Redmond, Wash.
In 1989, Eric and Marlene relocated permanently to Whidbey Island, residing at the well-known “Red Door Farm,” a property they had purchased in 1985. From 1989 until around 1995, Eric worked as an engineer with the Island Country Planning Department. He subsequently worked as a consulting engineer for another five years, until finally “retiring” at the end of 2000. Around the same time, he and Marlene moved to cozy home in Clinton overlooking beautiful Saratoga Passage.
For most of his life, he was an expert skier, avid mountain climber, able sailor and patient fisherman.
After moving to Whidbey Island, Will remained active in community service as well as various clubs and community organizations for many years. His dry wit was always a welcome diversion to any meeting or work party. He enjoyed all things nautical, and showed great devotion in restoring and building wooden boats. He and Marlene were active gardeners and members of South Whidbey Tilth. Will’s cultivation of garlic grew from a hobby to a passion, and sometimes his odoriferous bulbs were even used as currency in various trades and barters.
Eric Will is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Marlene Dunlop; as well as a son, Donald Will of Alma, Colo., two daughters, Diana (Clayton) Hubner of Laie, Hawaii and Penny (Kent) Brenden of Centennial Colo.; seven grandchildren, and a sister-in-law, Frankie Will of Alamosa, Colo. Eric was preceded in death by his only brother, Peter, in 1986.
A memorial service was held on Tuesday Feb. 6, in the Clinton Progressive Association Hall.
In lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations be made to South Whidbey Tilth, PO Box 252, Langley, WA 98260. www.southwhidbeytilth.org.
