Eric N. Egland passed into rest August 17, 2009, in Monterey, CA. He was the grandson of Norwegian immigrants, Christian and Nora Egland and the son of C. N. and Florence Egland, all of San Juan Bautista, CA.
Born in Gilroy, Eric spent most of his life in the “Anzar Hills” of San Juan Bautista, CA where he and his wife of 42 years, Colleen Donahue raised a son, Eric Thor of San Juan Bautista, and a daughter, Anna, of Aromas.
Eric attended the old San Juan Grammar School and high school in Hollister. He attended the last year of San Benito College and the first year of Gavilan College at the Hollister Airport before joining the United States Coast Guard. After electronics school in Groton, CT., his was assigned duty on the newly commissioned coast guard cutter “Mellon”.
Eric sailed down the East Coast and through the Panama Canal to San Francisco and on to his home port at Pearl Harbor, HI. He sailed on to occupied “Ocean Station November”, a drift location in the Pacific for rescuing ships and planes in distress. At one point in his duty at Honolulu, he received a Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service for saving the Mellon from damage by spotting and responding to a dock fire in a timely manner.
Much of Eric’s work as a civilian involved troubleshooting and rebuilding electronic devices and systems. He worked for Pacific Telephone for a time monitoring remote microwave stations. For the last 23 years, he worked for L3 Services California Tube Laboratory designing, maintaining, and testing electrical equipment and microwave vacuum tubes.
Eric is also survived by brother Norman of Madera, CA, his sister Valerie of San Juan Bautista, and their families, an aunt, two uncles and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins throughout California.
He loved mowing his fields, restoring antique tractors, and amateur radio. “WA6KFY” to other hams, he was a life-long member of ARRL, the American Radio Relay League.
Eric battled brain tumors for two years and wishes to thank all who supported him. He was 66 years old.
At his request, no services are scheduled. Cremation arrangements are by Mehl’s Colonial Chapel, 222 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076
