Obituary of Eric Michael Jouglard

Eric Jouglard, 59, passed away June 10, 2009. Born in Dallas Texas to Cleveland and Anna Jouglard, he was later raised in Gretna LA , as one of five children. He is survived by wife Joette, daughter Erica, brothers Donald and David and sister Evelyn. As a young man Eric enlisted in the Air Force and served for 20 years as an Avionics Technician on multiple fighter jets. He met his wife, Joette, in Newport News VA , and married her on May 18th 1976. He was transferred to WA state where daughter Erica was born in 1986. His extensive military career took the family to Germany . Eric took great delight in the German sport of Volksmarching, and most weekends you would find the family travelling to a quaint German town for a 20 kilometer walk in the countryside. While in Europe , he enjoyed the German wines and took up wine making upon his arrival back in the states. Unfortunately, the winemaking was best left to the experts but proved to be a fun endeavor none-the-less. Eric enjoyed sightseeing and thanks to his military career was able to see much of Europe and the USA . While in the Air Force, Eric completed his BA in Human Resources Administration at St. Martins College and took every opportunity to expand his education. Eric was like a father to many young men serving in the Air Force far from their homes. Airmen would be invited home for a meal or to share a holiday on a regular basis. He earned many military honors and was appreciated for his wealth of experience and abilities. After being discharged from the Air Force, Eric worked an assortment of jobs and went back to school to attain a teaching certificate. He changed his mind on teaching and went to work for the Boeing Company. He was laid off from Boeing at one point but returned a few years later. At the time of his death, Eric worked at Boeing as an Experimental Pre-Flight Mission Technician. His coworkers nicknamed him “tumbleweed” because he had moved through many Boeing positions in his quest to get the job he ultimately got. Eric had a passion for motorcycles. He loved riding and tinkering with them. He became a motorcycle safety instructor in his spare time. When his daughter was old enough, he introduced her to dirt-bikes and all-terrain vehicles. Eric learned to scuba dive at an early age and thoroughly enjoyed diving. He also enjoyed fishing. The time spent boating on the water with her dad, seeing and listening to how much he enjoyed fishing and scuba left their impression on his daughter who now pursues a fishery science degree at the University of Washington . Eric loved the History channel on TV and reruns of “That 70s Show”. He saw every Clint Eastwood movie ever made at least a hundred times. He was a champion for American Indians’ rights and joined the Deer Clan in Valdosta Georgia . Eric enjoyed shooting and believed strongly in the right to bear arms. Days before he passed, he took his wife and daughter target shooting. Eric was active in past church memberships. He ushered, greeted, and performed yard work, sat on the council and did anything that was asked of him. Eric was known for seeing a need and taking care of it. When he was on his riding lawnmower mowing his own grass, he would take the opportunity to do all of the neighbors’ lawns as well. Eric could fix just about anything. Lawnmower, car, motorcycle or appliance broke? Call Eric. Of all things, Eric’s greatest delight was his daughter. He was the doting dad who supported his daughter in everything and always looked out for her welfare. Eric was thrifty before it became fashionable. He wouldn’t waste anything. Items others would discard, he would find a way to use or reuse. He was ever the saver, and was always reminding his family of the difference between wants and needs. Because of his conservative ways, he was able to pay off his first home in 20 years and finance his daughter’s college education. Eric was humble, quiet, selfless, and ever-mindful of the needs of others. He loved animals and had a biscuit for every dog that crossed his path. You could count on Eric to be there for you no matter what you asked for. Eric did things his own way and had strong opinions that he willingly shared with others. Those silly enough to argue with Eric found he was doggedly determined to have you agree with him. When Eric’s illness progressed he could no longer do much that he loved and when forced to be sedentary, read books by John Grisham and Tom Clancy and surfed the net. He was always finding and sharing the best internet jokes with all he knew and found humor in many situations. Eric was strong in so many ways. This was revealed in the way he faced adversity. Those who knew him knew of the many health problems that plagued him over the last 15 years. He met each challenge head-on with bravery and was determined to persevere. For his 59th birthday, on June 1st, his daughter fittingly gave him a button that read “I’ve survived darn near everything!” We had hopes Eric would be with us for at least a few more months but God had other plans. He took away his pain and suffering and gave him a new life where he could be whole and happy. He will be sorely missed by family and friends. A memorial service will be held June 20 at 1pm at Christ Lutheran Church , 8211 112th St SW , Lakewood , WA 98498 . In lieu of flowers, donations in Eric’s name can be made to the Christ Lutheran Memorial Fund.