Eric Sauser died from cancer and his wife decided to celebrate his life as opposed to mourn his loss.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 17, 2021. It has since been updated.
The cause of Eric Sauser's death was either leukemia or being "dead sexy," wrote his wife of 13 years, Crystal Sauser, in a hilarious obituary, ensuring his life would a celebration even at a time of mourning. It captured the essence of the man and their loving relationship. Eric Sauser, a 43-year-old dental technician, succumbed to leukemia after a nearly two-year fight with cancer on February 26. When Eric Sauser penned the obituary, she wanted his life to be celebrated and for him to be remembered for the humorous person he was. "Eric A. Sauser, AKA Super Dad, AKA Easy, just a rockin' dude from Omaha, NE passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, February 26, 2021, at the age of 43 with his wife by his side. His departure was just in time for him to make his spiritual appearance at every Red Sox spring game," started off the obituary that has since gone viral on the internet.
When I recommend stuff, I usually highlight stories written by @OWHnews reporters. But this obituary deserves a read. Godspeed, Eric pic.twitter.com/5JSThgsHSu
— Bob Glissmann (@BobGlissmann) February 28, 2021
Eric is a dad to three children — Amelia, 11, Violet, 9, and Benjamin, 5. The obituary was published in the local paper before finding its way onto Twitter. Crystal spoke to Good Morning America after the obit gained traction online and said her husband would have enjoyed that. "I think his face is so red," said Crystal, imagining his reaction. "He's completely embarrassed by me saying things [in the obituary] like, 'He's dead sexy,' but he would be so happy that he wasn't cookie cutter." Eric never wanted to be pitied and Crystal ensured that would never be the case.
Eric learned he had cancer in 2019. He was experiencing night sweats and had gotten winded after carrying their daughter upstairs to bed. Not long after that, he was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2019. "We were shocked," said Crystal. "Eric said nothing but, 'Oh well, it's fine. We are going to just deal with this.' So, that was our mantra and that's what we followed." Eric had to undergo a stem cell transplant, experimental therapy, and several other treatments, but the cancer would reappear in April 2020. "At that point, Eric said, 'Enough is enough. I'm putting you guys through way too much,'" recalled Crystal. "But through the entire journey, Eric was such an amazing guy. He always had a smile on his face ... he was more worried about what was going on with everyone else than him."
Following his death, Crystal reviewed various obituary templates, but she didn't feel any of them summed up Eric as a person and that's when she decided to customize one, to celebrate his legacy. "If you knew Eric, you knew you were loved, and there is a good chance he told you that – probably sober, but maybe not. During his time here, he found a way into everyone's heart," wrote Crystal. "Eric loved, in this order, his smoking hot wife, his brilliant kids and family, his many friends, the Boston Red Sox, the Kansas City Chiefs (before being a Chiefs fan was cool), the Huskers, Liverpool Futbol, QT iced tea, Adidas sneakers, fishing, backpacking, hiking, hunting, and any old Chevy he saw on the road," read the obituary.
The obit was read out by Eric's daughter Amelia at his celebration of life. A dance party was also organized. Crystal has been flooded with messages commending her for the incredible strength she's been showing since his death. "He would be happy that this story is generating inspiration and love," she said, adding, "If there's anything Eric and I can do, it is send some love out there." Crystal wrapped up the obituary in a similar vein. "In lieu of flowers, please pray that the Huskers have a winning season, or send a donation to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society in Eric's name. He would appreciate either or both," concluded the obit.
References:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/omaha/name/eric-sauser-obituary
Cover image credit: Eric A. Sauser/Obituary/Legacy.com
