Two years ago today on February 19, 2008 we lost one of the greatest men that I have ever known.
Eric VanBuskirk was a Pastor, Husband, Father, and Grandpa.
I had the privilege of knowing him as my father-in-law.
He was an amazing man that is missed dearly every day. He passed away 3 weeks before Aubri was born so he never had the privilege of meeting his granddaughter or 16 months later his grandson. But I know, more than anything else, that both of our children were prayed for by Eric.
Eric was a man of prayer. He prayed for hours. He prayed for everyone and everything but especially his family and his congregation. So even though he did not get to meet his grandchildren he blessed them and, for me, that makes the fact that he’s not here, that he didn’t get to hold them, or play with them or tell them his crazy stories a little bit easier to handle.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Eric. It truly captures how great of a Dad he truly was.
I love this one as well, it is Christopher’s favorite picture. This is from Homecoming Weekend at Greenville College Christopher’s freshmen year.
We had the honor of having Eric marry Christopher and I. Everything was going perfect. My Dad’s song had just finished playing and the ceremony was coming to an end. Then Eric said “I now pronounce you as Father & Moth…” and everyone busted out laughing. It was great. A much needed time for laughter after the tears that had been shed
So, in the midst of the pain that I feel this day, I feel joy. I feel joy for the times and memories that we did have together. I feel privileged and honored to have been able to call him my father-in-law and to know that he has prayed for Christopher and I and our future. He prayed for Centerpoint. He prayed for Aubri and Owen. If you knew him and even if you didn’t I’m pretty sure he prayed for you in some way or another.
Eric left a legacy of prayer.
What legacy will you leave?
If you had the privilege of knowing Eric will you please leave a memory of him in the comments? I know that everyone in the family would love to hear your stories and I think it would help all of us to remember this sad day with joy in our hearts. Thank you.
I was building a deck for Phil and Heather next door when I got the news that Pastor Eric had passed away. It may seem a bit weird to some, but I stopped and looked up to the sky and asked, “Is this your final answer?”. Kind of like they do on “Millionare”. It seems easier to handle tradgety if you know that God is in control. Although I didn’t like the finality of it, I can rest in the fact that God is God. My heart is heavy today. For your loss as well as mine.
I agree. I am so thankful for the peace that our Heavenly Father gives us. A peace that passes all understanding…
I did not have the privilege of growing up with Pastor Eric as my husband did, but I did get to know him for about 4 years – what an amazing man! I loved how honest he was, how down to earth he was, and yes he did pray! I remember Chris and I took our newborn Jacob over to his house and he and Jeannette prayed over him – what a blessing!! It ment so much to me to share our joy with him and that he said a prayer over my son – no one important in his life (not his family, ect ect) but that he took the time one evening while fighting cancer to have us come over and pray over my son. The VanBuskrik family in a whole has been a huge blessing in my life. I miss Pastor Eric, but glad that he did teach Pastor Aaron and left Church Triumphant in very good hands. I pray that he is in heaven playing with all the children that have been lost by parents in our church (and others too) and even his own. =) What a great man and I hope to leave a legacy like him to my children.
Shannon, what an amazing blessing to have Eric pray over Jacob and hold him! What a special, special thing. Don’t you wish you could have that prayer written down or taped? I know I do! Thank you for sharing.
Yes I wish that was recorded! I don’t remember everything he said but I know that he ment every word of it! That was the last time I saw Eric too.
What a beautiful tribute to your FIL!! I was lead here through your comment at leading and loving it. PRAYING for you, praying that God reveals the light at the end of the tunnel soon! BLESSINGS!
A fellow PW
from Oregon!
Tracy~
Thank you Tracy! It is so wonderful to have a place where PW’s can go for strength and encouragement! I love it! Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoyed.
I spent the first 20 years of my life under Pastor Eric, but for some reason there’s one story that really sticks out in my head.
I was very young, and the VanBuskirks were building their house (no idea what year that was). I went fishing in my creek with just a fish hook, sinker, and my line. On the way back I saw a tree across the creek, and in my Indiana Jones way I hurled the line toward the tree and prepared to swing from it. As the hook spun around the tree it came back and lodged itself in my finger. Unable to calm me down or remove the hook, my Grandma took me to Eric’s house (Grandpa was helping him build). He walked up to me and saw that I had twisted the hook underneath the skin, and he said – “This is going to hurt really bad, cause I’m going to have to turn the hook and then pull it out!” He wasn’t joking.
As a young man growing up without my father Eric was a father – not just to me – but to many kids and teenagers in my position.
I also remember several late night phone calls between my fighting parents and him.
Eric and Jeanette gave themselves completely to the work of the Gospel and to their flock. What a great man of God…. What a great God in a man!
– Keith Yates
Thank you Keith. Your story truly touched our hearts. Thank you for sharing!
Your Dad and I first met Eric at Word Alive Fellowship. He would come and teach at different times when our Pastor was out of town. I remember one time when he, Jeannette and a line of little white headed kids were in tow. Who knew that one of those munchkins was my future son-in-law. As a matter of fact, it was Eric and I in conversation at a camp meeting in Portsmouth Ohio. It went like this. Karen, I believe that my son has been calling your daughter, seems that they have been talking quite frequently. I answered him, yes Eric, your son has been calling my daughter, seems like they might be interested in one another. We shared a laugh and my thoughts were… We would be so blessed to have your son interested in our daughter. Any son of Eric VanBuskirk would be okay with me, to date my daughter. Over the years we grew to know Eric and Jeannette in a very personal way. They always made us so welcomed at their home and we enjoyed some very great moments together. One of those times was playing croquette with Eric.. What fun times we had. He was competitive in our friendly game of croquette. I think he invited us back time and time again, just to beat me…lol Another fun memory that I have is when we invited them to our house for a fun evening at Rockford Manor. He laughed and laughed at our crazy fun times… WE love him and miss him so much. He was a man of God who I loved to hear pray. I know he is so proud of his family.
I remember that camp meeting and looking up and seeing you two talk. I was so worried what you were telling him about me! Usually In-laws and their families have a hard time getting along with one another but we never did! I miss those times. A lot. Thanks Mom!
One time I went to work with expired tags on my car. Pastor Eric and Aaron found out about it and Pastor Eric thought it would be fun to tell me that there was a State trooper in the parking lot taking down my license plate information. I freaked out…and then he started laughing. After a little bit I was able to join him. =) That is just one of many memories I have of him and when I think about the greatest influences in my life he is one of the top. I was so blessed to have known him.
He was such a jokster! He loved to tease and play practical jokes on friends and family
He did it to me all the time and I, of course, was always gullible! I miss his laughter and joy as well! Thank you for sharing!
One of the things I’ll always remember about Pastor Eric was the way he continually encouraged me. When I felt called to missions at the age of 13, I remember him telling me the vision that God had given him about me being a missionary. With every turn my life took, from missions to school, he would challenge and encourage me to follow God’s heart and His leading. I also knew that his door was always open if I needed to talk or had a prayer need.
He ALWAYS was an encourager! Always. Even when what we were saying sounded completely crazy to everyone else, he encouraged us to follow God’s will and vision. He would be so proud of you Denise and so thankful that you are doing this at Centerpoint! You are a blessing!
Geesh – SO many stories to think about & share. Needless to say, we miss him dearly & are so glad we knew him and the entire VB Family.
Ironically enough, I 1st met Pastor Eric the night my own father died. I recall that night vividly as my mom & Pastor pulled in the driveway and I ran to the window and said, “there’s mommy, but that’s not daddy.” Turns out, he turned out to be a spiritual giant & father for me for so long. Through selfish, partying ways, he was stern with me to get back on the narrow road. When I accidentally slid my truck into the shed beside the church & told him about it, he laughed it off with such grace.
Two quick vivid stories that both Amber & I remember are: At our wedding, after communion, part of the cloth caught on fire and only Pastor, Amber & I could see the flames. But instead of letting the fire get bigger he put it out with his fingers and we watched him grimmace for a moment.
Then, shortly after it was announced cancer had come back a 3rd time – we were over for lunch w/ you guys in fact… Weak in his body, he disappeared for a few moments….he came back with a ball, looked at Isaiah and said, “wanna play?” (okay that’s tough to type – hello tears)
Even w/ Isaiah, he had a quick impact. A few months ago, Isaiah asked me where Pastor Eric was which led to tears & laughter with Isaiah as I attempted to explain he’s with Jesus.
Integrity/love/prayer – he got it, he had it, he lived it.
Thanks Matt! Your words have touched my heart so much. I am beyond words as to how thankful I am for you & Amber. Isaiah held a special place in Eric’s heart. I am thankful Isaiah had that short time with Pastor Eric, but I can’t help but wish there was more! He would have loved crazy Noah & all the other munchkins!
I did not have the priviledge of knowing Eric for long but I can honestly say that he gave me advice that was pivotal in knowing how to handle a devastating problem in my life. I was painting a mural at Salem and was depressed beyond words. Eric was attending a Bible Study and stopped in to see what I was doing. He looked at me and actually saw me. That is so rare, to actually see someone. He asked me what was wrong and then gave me counsel so polar opposite from what everyone else I had spoken to advised. It opened my eyes to my obligation to the victim and not the obligation to the legal system to “get the perpetrator of the street”. He went back to events in his own life and felt so strongly about the
“real” legal system, and not the romanticised version we see on tv. I have given his advise to many women who have come to see me for the similar problem and stand by it to this day. It was, beyond anything, wise and scriptural and I have never regretted acting on his advise.
I agree Pam, his advice was always wise and scriptural! I am glad you were able to meet him even if it was for a short time.
There are a thousand memories that come to mind when I think of Pastor Eric. Reason being, my brother and I did everything possible to try to spend every second with his kids. Even though I’ve already thought of several memories that brought tears to my eyes, I want to share a story that makes me laugh, and can hopefully bring a smile to your face too!
A group of us young guys went hunting with Pastor Eric and Pastor Aaron one early morning. It was so cold. Before we went out into the woods, Pastor Eric told us all to meet back at the car around noon. So, we all split up and out we went. We all got in our spots, and then the reality of how cold it was began to settle in. It was freezing. After about an hour or so, I remember looking over at Aaron, who wasn’t far from me, and seeing the misery on his face. We had one of those conversations where nothing verbally was said, but our faces did all the talking. We were frozen, and we wanted to leave! However, one thing kept us from getting up and leaving early… Pastor Eric. He was in the woods closest to the car, so we didn’t want to walk by him in the woods and ruin any attempt he had at shooting a dear. So, what did we do, we stuck it out… kind of. Around 11am I went over to Aaron and told him I had taken all I could handle, he agreed. So we gathered up the other guys and began to walk out of the woods. When walking through the woods to get to the car, we didn’t see Pastor Eric. We thought, “Maybe he is on to something, maybe he killed a dear?” So as quietly as possible, we continued to walk towards the car, wondering, “where is Pastor Eric?” However, as soon as we saw smoke rolling out of the tail pipe, our question was answered. We got to the car, and in the driver seat there laid Pastor Eric asleep with heat on. We thought, “Well, he probably just got here, he must have been cold too.” When we asked him how long he had been there, he told us, “Are you kidding me, when I got out in the woods early this morning, it was just too cold for me, so I came back to the car.” Of course then everyone started laughing when we realized he had done exactly what we had all wanted to do, but we didn’t, because we didn’t want to disturb him:) Needless to say, anytime going hunting with Pastor Eric was brought up again, he was promptly reminded of the time, he left us all out to freeze!
That’s hilarious Josh! That’s one of the things Christopher misses the most, hunting with his Dad. He has some pretty funny stories about their hunting adventures as well! Thanks for the laugh! You & Tiff are great!
I have had such a good time reading all these stories! Thanks for taking the time to write them and putting a smile on my face. JEV
Hasn’t it been great?! Eric truly left an impact as well as you, Jeannette! He couldn’t have done it without you! Love ya!
I was blessed to know Eric from when he took classes at Circleville Bible College. I often attended his church and hung out alot with he and many others in Hallsville. We had so much fun as well as sharing many times of prayer. One day, I was at Eric’s house and he was talking individually to several of us about a big change in his life..come to find out, he was telling us he was going to marry Jeanette..we didn’t even know they were “dating”. I remember being shocked, but excited..we just knew that they would be an amazing couple and that obviously proved correct. I had the privilege of serving as children’s minister for them at “Salem White” and though we didn’t see each other for many years, whenever we would talk, we would just pick up where we left off. I’m so glad I knew he and Jeanette…I’m a better person because of it.
Thanks Marlene! He told great stories about his time at CBC! And I agree we are all better people because of Eric and Jeannette.
One of my favorite memories of Pastor Eric was at my wedding. It was actually during my vows that I technically never finished. He was asking me to repeat after him but half way through what I was saying my nerves got the best of me and I forgot what I was suppose to be saying. I just starting laughing and so did he. He said we’ll try this again and said them again. But once again half way through I forgot what I was suppose to be saying and just stood there silent. Everyone laughed and Pastor Eric said we would just move on without me finishing that part of my vows since I couldn’t get it out. Afterward Pastor joked with us that we weren’t truly married since I never said my vows all the way. The memories go on a long time but I am truly privledged, blessed, and a changed person to have known him.
That’s great Tiff! I hadn’t ever heard that story, LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing! We were very privileged to have Eric perform our wedding ceremonies, weren’t we?
Pastor Eric was there for me in many ways! He counseled me after I lost my husband. He knew my late husband so was really able to help walk me through my grief and showed me how to allow God to fill the emptiness I felt. He also agreed to read my writings and advise me as to their content. This is something he offered to do and I really appreciated his input. He also counseled my daughter and helped her through the loss of her father. He was a wonderful Pastor, counselor and friend. He is missed!
He was a great counselor, I agree. And missed dearly by more people than we will ever know!
For our ten year anniversary Pastor Eric helped my family, close friends and home group plan a surprise wedding for us. How they all kept the secret I will never know. It was amazing. It was Eric’s idea to plan Zayden’s baptism and then to spring the surprise on us. We never had a real wedding. Neither of us had a clue. It was wonderful. He loved it. He had the biggest grin. It was the best gift of my life. We have many fond memories but this is my favorite.
What a special, special memory Kim! Thanks for sharing!
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