Support Janet Through Eric's Loss

Eric Duane Malone, 70, passed May 13 in Holland, Michigan, following complications from diabetes. Eric was a man of many talents: writer, poet, photographer, lifelong anti-war activist, avid reader, cinephile, and music lover. He was a passionate curator of playlists and mixtapes who made a point of sequencing tracks precisely and whose favorite activity was to put his iPod on shuffle and show off that he could immediately name the title, artist, and year the song came out.

Above all, Eric was a peripatetic man, happiest on the road, drumming on the dashboard to the beat of the music as he sped off to some new adventure and stopping whenever “you see something so totally cool you have to stop.” He loved life and his energy was infectious; whenever he saw a baby at the grocery store, he never missed a chance to kneel down and tell them: It’s a great time to be alive! We’re so happy you’re here!

A caring husband of 36 years, he moved with his wife Janet to Holland, Michigan, last year to support her artistic pursuits. Although they had struggled with saving all their life, they worked diligently to pay down nearly all of their credit card debt over the last year, downsizing their lifestyle and becoming more fiscally disciplined. The road trip days were done, but they looked forward to supporting Janet’s showcase at the Holland First Bloem Festival Artwork Competition in early May. Unfortunately, Eric’s short illness prevented Janet from presenting her work (at least this year).

As difficult a time as this is for our family, it is sadly exacerbated by the recent hospital bills, cremation costs, outstanding credit card debt, and lack of retirement savings. While we expect our mom, Janet, can manage on a strict budget once she starts receiving survivor benefits, we have been told these benefits can take up to three months to start.

Until late August, we face a small gap between her income and her fixed costs (rent, utilities, groceries, gas, laundromat, phone). After years on the road, the car needs some repairs to remain drivable. Finally, there are hospital bills from the last month and legal fees to make sure we can provide our mother the assistance she needs to manage her finances moving forward. We are applying for other social services, selling furniture, setting up payment plans, and working to downsize her lifestyle further. However, there is very little room for error should any other expenses arise, and we want to help her finish paying off the credit card debt so she can start fresh.

This GoFundMe will go toward covering the cost of the cremation, her fixed expenses, and legal fees. Any additional donations received will be used to replace the car brakes and help pay down the balance on the hospital bills. There is no memorial currently planned; June 14 is the date the main credit card bill is due.

Your help here would fundamentally ensure our mom gets through this traumatic period. We could send some of Janet’s stickers as a thank-you if you would like to see her art.

Feel free to email us any questions.