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MARQUETTE -- Eric Paul Schatz, 67, of Marquette, passed away peacefully at his home Tuesday morning, March 28, 2023. He was surrounded by his loving family and under the care of Lake Superior Life Care and Hospice.
Eric was born on February 12, 1956 in St. Paul, Minn. He grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and attended Hoover High School where he excelled at long distance running. Eric then obtained his bachelor's degree in forestry management at Iowa State University in 1978.
While at Iowa State, Eric joined Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. During his tenure as the fraternity treasurer the house won the nations coveted top chapter award. It appeared his persistence in chasing down every penny paid off! Also while at Iowa State, he also earned the name among friends as "true fan" while cheering for his beloved Cyclones!
Upon graduation from Iowa State, his love of nature and trees brought him to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a position at Mead Paper as a forester and later district manager. Focused and energetic, he completed his MBA degree at Northern Michigan University during nights and weekends. Eric was fearless and unafraid to embrace change. His entrepreneurship spirit showed in his personal and successful Wood Pro business that was an art in itself. Eric had a gift of knitting together diverse groups of people. He had a wonderful trait of selflessness as he always thought of others before himself. All of those qualities prepared him for his financial rep career of over 12 years with Northwestern Mutual helping people protect their loved ones.
As a kid, Eric always planted and nurtured a garden. His love of the earth was rooted in summers spent at his Uncle Wilfred Schatz's farm in Iowa feeding and caring for the farm animals and developing a special love of the baby piglets. In addition to the Schatz family, he also shared a special bond with his mother's side, the Pickett aunts and uncles and cousins from Minnesota. His Grandma Pickett referred to him and his cousins as "The Three Little Mosquitoes." He loved fishing with his Grandpa Pickett in southern Minnesota for blue gills and perch as a young boy.
Friendships and family were very important to Eric as he made it "easy" to be his friend and "special" to be his family. Though he was well travelled, his favorite place in the world was at his little family cottage on Round Lake in the Hiawatha National Forest with any and all of them.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Edward Schatz; and his mother and father-in-law, Frances and Matthew Weber. As a special act of kindness, Eric helped care for Matthew in his final year of life by welcoming him into his home.
The hurting hearts he leaves behind are his spouse of 43 years, Mary; three beautiful daughters, Angela (Jim) Linski, Monica Schatz (Hector), and Elena (Jeremy) Fryczynski; five grandchildren, Joseph, Vincent, Ruby, Evie and Anthony; his mother, Phyllis Pickett Schatz of Rochester, Minn.; brother, David of Joplin, MO; brother-in-law, James (Barb) Weber of Manistique, Mich.; seven nieces and nephews; numerous cousins; and a world of friends.
At the beginning of his life through the end of his life, God was his compass. His deep faith in God helped him courageously accept his five year battle with cancer. He was a member of St. Peter Cathedral of Marquette.
The Schatz family will greet relatives and friends on Friday, March 31, from 4 to 6 p.m.at Canale-Tonella Funeral Home and Cremation Services where a parish prayer service will be recited at 4:15 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 1, at 1 p.m. in St. Peter Cathedral with the Rev. Msgr. Michael Steber officiating. Visitation will also take place on Saturday in the Bishop's Room of the Cathedral from 11:30 a.m. until the time of the Funeral Mass. Eric's funeral Mass will be livestreamed at https://my.gather.app/remember/eric-paul-schatz
Those wishing to make an expression of sympathy are kindly asked to consider the Care Clinic, 1213 N. Third St., Marquette, MI 49855, St. Vincent de Paul Society, 2119 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette, MI 49855 or the Capital Campaign at St. Peter Cathedral, 311 Baraga Ave., Marquette, MI 49855.
Canale-Tonella Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting Eric's family where memories and condolences may be shared at canalefuneral.com