Erik Holm Eggers

Erik's memorial service can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/765093736

Erik's tribute video can be viewed here: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/PY72LDB9RGSWWQKY

Erik Holm Eggers, 32, Fargo, ND, died by suicide on October 10, 2022 at his home. Funeral service will be held at Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral in Fargo on October 29, 2022 at 2:00p.m.

Erik was born in Bismarck on April 30, 1990 to Mindy and Hans Eggers. As anyone who met him quickly realized, Erik possessed an extraordinary mind and a unique sense of humor. From a young age, he was curious about the world and cultivated eclectic interests, starting with a most unusual fascination with vacuum cleaners. From there, he went on to master the inner workings of everything from computers and hydraulic cylinders to popcorn machines and high-end audio equipment. Where others saw dull objects, he saw intricate, even beautiful creations deserving of appreciation and understanding. A graduate of Concordia College in computer science and a talented programmer, Erik formed lifelong bonds with many who also marveled in understanding how things work.

Erik's love of complex systems wasn't limited to machines-he had a deep reverence for language, too. In high school, he mastered Latin and mesmerized his classmates with long, elaborate (and often, quite entertaining) prose far beyond their own level. His drive to understand also gave him an unusual capacity to appreciate beauty. Music, especially for the pipe organ, was a pillar that sustained him throughout his life. He mastered a formidable repertoire of organ and other keyboard music spanning centuries, and dazzled friends and strangers alike in churches or at home with the majesty of the "King of Instruments," whose inner workings were as important to him as the soaring music it created. Whether it was a Baroque orchestral suite or a Steely Dan album, Erik found solace in playing, listening to, and talking about music-especially music written for the Christian liturgy, another passion through which he lived out his reverence for ritual and symbolism. He amassed a collection of vestments and other liturgical paraphernalia that he loved showing to his often bemused friends-some of whom were fortunate to receive their very own Orthodox thurible from him in the mail.

Erik met his spouse, Laura Dronen at Concordia in 2009. The very first time she spotted him in the dorms, he had his trusty thurible with him (his collection would grow to three), and Laura found it intriguing-a pleasant surprise to Erik. They would often talk, and Erik soon discovered the joy of loving-and being loved by-someone who accepted him for exactly who he was. His way of processing the new and complicated feelings of falling in love was to write an organ piece for Laura called "Uncertainty." On March 20, 2011, after much deliberation and emotional conversation, they determined they were soulmates, and simultaneously said "I love you." This was a day they honored every year. They married on August 16, 2014.

Erik was a devoted friend to many, a source of endless laughter and entertainment who formed deep bonds with people from completely different backgrounds. When he liked you, he invested significant time and energy into his relationship with you. Conversations with Erik on any topic were always memorable-he was legendary for his acerbic wit, sarcasm, irreverence, and vast repertoire of obscure knowledge he enjoyed sprinkling into everyday exchanges. He explained mundane occurrences in his life by analogizing them to scenes in Curb Your Enthusiasm. He would write birthday greetings in obscure programming languages and loved to bestow unusual gifts. He appreciated craftsmanship and anything made well. Fountain pens, his Tesla, peaty scotch, Indian or Sichuan food-if he found it interesting or enjoyable, he could never pursue or experience it halfheartedly, and he found even more joy in experiencing it with others.

Erik is survived by his wife, Laura Dronen (mother-in-law Marcy Dronen); parents Mindy Eggers and Hans Eggers; siblings Kurt, Evan, and Rose; uncles and aunts Ann Peterson Farrell, Greg Peterson, Rolf (Leah) Eggers, Mark (Mary) Eggers; Jeff (Pamela) Feist, Tammy (Steven) Feist Verba, and Aulura Feist; cousins Chris (Toni) Farrell, Brant Peterson, Hannah Eggers, Conrad Eggers, Alex Eggers, and Kristin Eggers; and grandparents Marlene Feist and Herman Eggers.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Berit Eggers and Ludwig Feist, and his cousin Grant Eggers.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Erik's memory to The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, the North Dakota WIN Fund, or the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. To share memories with Erik's family and many friends, please join the Facebook page "Remembering Erik Eggers."