Dear Cindy and extended family,
I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I worked with both Terry and Eric on the Mosaic team at UNCC for a combined 25 years.
So I guess I have been with them (and they stuck with me!) for pretty much my whole adult life! Not a day goes by where we (the Mosaic team) don't think of them. And while I am so profoundly sad, I just can't even imagine what you are going through right now. Know that we are praying for you, that God would give you strength and peace.
I want you to know that UNC Charlotte and the College of Engineering couldn't have had better people working for them than Terry and Eric.
I have so many wonderful memories of both of them, and that is what I am trying to focus on now, and something I will never forget.
Terry was one of the original architects of the Mosaic system and I remember him bringing his son, Eric as a young boy to work with him each summer as a volunteer. Summer was the time to upgrade the servers, swap out old machines in our student labs with new ones, service printers, and the like.
However, as a father, I think Terry got a better deal than UNCC did (free worker!), as Terry got to have special one-on-one time with his son, all the while teaching him Computer skills using the latest hardware and software. And as a son, getting to go to work with your own dad, watching him and learning from him, Terry being a computer expert.
Priceless times for both father and son!
Eric soon grew up and became a student at UNCC and worked for us as a TA. This was a great deal for us, as he already knew so much about our systems.
And then when Terry retired, Eric was the perfect fit to step in and take over the role. It couldn't have worked out for UNCC any better, as he already knew everything! More importantly, he knew how to put up with us!
We couldn't have had two finer men working on our team. They were so dedicated to their job and helping make sure "the show went on" for the Engineering faculty, staff and students. I wish we could add up all of the faculty/staff/students that have passed through our college since Terry and Eric have worked there. I can't imagine, it has to be a huge number, thousands have been able to do their research, teach, gain skills to get great jobs because of them!
They often worked behind the scenes, no one even knowing the long hours early in the morning or over the weekend, just to make everything was up and running. They didn't look for recognition or kudos, they just did whatever needed to be done to fix the issues and make their customers happy and that was good enough for them.
I admired many things about them, but one thing in particular struck me. Both Terry and Eric told it like it was. They told the facts. Even if they stood alone or it wasn't convenient.
And it was always for the ultimate good for their customers (students, faculty and staff) whether the customer or management knew it or not.
They said what others might have been thinking but were afraid to speak up. They were genuine and had conviction. They were men of their word.
They also had was the ability to get just what was needed just in the nick of time. Being a state school, we often had a very tight budget.
I often think they were little like "Radar Oreilly" from the old TV Show "Mash" (haggling for parts, calling to get the delivery sped up and on time, and negotiating for better prices, etc...) as well as a bit of the "MacGiver" TV Show, as they knew how to take things and somehow fashion something out of nothing to create a solution to a problem.
They knew everyone, everyone knew them and they knew just who to call to get what they needed. They were an incredible resource and certainly irreplaceable.
They will be missed and certainly never forgotten.
I will be praying that God will sustain you in the days and years ahead as you grieve.
David Whisler