Happy Birthday!28 years ago I met you for the first time. You were so blonde you looked bald, but when I looked in your eyes, you stole my heart. That never changed.I saw a little boy riding his bike yesterday and it brougt back so many memories of you. I thought of the first time I let you ride your bike to Dillon's and I watched you out the window the whole way, praying for God to watch over you.I remembered a little boy who would not leave his clothes on and how I chased you down the street, naked! And how you and Josh found every available mud puddle. You were so covered in mud only your eyes showed.I have to laugh when I think of us in the old Luv, with half a steering wheel, trying to teach you to drive a standard. We chug-chugged along and laughed so hard we cried.And you in your big old boat.And the day you called me cause the tires fell off!Many lunch breaks were spent with you at Casey's. You always had time to say what's up.I saw the truck there and it reminded me of you crazy people putting truck away. You could make the most boring things so much fun!You're life was full of ups and downs but you took time to listen to others. You had a rare gift that allowed you just to listen. Then you could crack me up saying something silly that would make my problems seem to go away.I lmiss you so much, every day. But you are always close and you can still make me laugh. Thank you for all the lessons you taught me and for all the love you always showed your mamma.I will never forget...
Four years today Eric. So much has happened and things are always changing. What would you be doing? Who would you be? I stopped asking why now but I still think of how it would be if you were here.
You taught me so much in life, looking back I see that now. Live life to the fullest, never back down from a challenge, love like you're heart won't break, fight like you can't lose, and mostly always have a kind word and a comeback! That was you.
Since you've been gone I've learned some things, too. Stand up for what you believe in, even if others don't agree. Hold your head up even when people are putting you down. Never take people for granted, they may not be here tomorrow. Find the good moments in everyday and look to those when things are bad. Take the time to talk to people, whoever they are.
Both of my kids have pieces of you. Tyler with his sense of humor and stubborness. Wow, can he be annoying!! Also, his ability to love quietly and loyally. That's the kind of man you showed him how to be.
Trinity never met you here on Earth but I have no doubt that she knows you just the same. She's so honery, but can make you forget in a heartbeat how mad you were at her. She just has that look. Sound familiar? Thought so. She has your "No Fear" attitude which I'm sure in later years will get her into some trouble. It also lets her enjoy every moment and not hold anything back.
Thank you, little brother, for all you've been and all you still are. I'll see you when the time is right...until forever comes.
How are things with you? I am having a real bad I miss you moment. Sitting here thinking about everything thats going on and all I can do is cry. What do you think of all this? Things have changed soo much for our whole family since you have been gone. We've all grown apart, yet some of us have grown stronger. I don't have a relationship with most of my family. My marriage has fallen apart. Mom and Dad split up. Trinity being brought into this world. Tyler so smart and compassionate. Tracy coming back into our lives. You, out of our lives but so much in our hearts and souls. The sadness you can look at any of us and see.
I really wonder what your thinking about all this craziness? Maybe I am too dramatic, maybe this is happening for a reason. Who knows? I just feel lost and I feel I have to really talk to a higher power at this point in my life to ask him to guide me in the right direction. Things could change alot.
I have stopped the tears. I know your here with me right now. I can feel it.
I miss my Eric. Seems you thought you needed everyone when in reality, it was you that kept us all together and kept everything going.
I REMEMBER / CRYSTAL BROWN (FRIEND)
YOU ARE MISSED ERIC MAY GOD LEAD YOU IN DEATH AND MAY GOD LEAD YOUR FAMILY TO WHAT TRUELY HAPPENED THE NIGHT YOU WERE TAKEN. I REMEMBER THE SUMMER THAT WE ALL PLAYED SOFTBALL TOGETHER!!!! AND YOU WERE SO MUCH FUN. REST IN PEACE ERIC. Close
I think seeing Trinity grow and change has made me think of you more often than usual. What would you think of her? And her of you? It seems like everything is ending, Eric, and then I look at her and realize that it's just the beginning of something new. Am I up for it?
I know you understand these thoughts and feelings so well, you went through so many endings and beginnings in your short life. How do we accept what's gone without being sad? And love what's new without missing what's gone?
Is it all part of growing up and growing older? There's a wisdom that comes with losing someone you love. Just don't let it make you bitter and afraid to be happy for fear of losing that too.
Tyler taught me recently that we never really forget but we can learn and love in spite of. He's a great kid. The trouble you guys could get in to now that he's older! He has your witty (and annoying) sense of humor. He misses you a lot, Eric. We all do and we always will.
I love you. Thank you for being the part of my life that makes me look back and smile, the part that allows me to laugh when the world is falling apart around me. The part that gives me courage when I want to hide. The part that makes me grateful for what I do have. Thank you for being you.
Happy Birthday Eric / Denise Kneale (connected by angels )
Happy Birthday Eric, have a wonderful time and hope you find my James, his big bro Daniel and James' 4 friends, Billy, Pieter, Steven and Richie, they will help you celebrate and light up our skies tonight with your celebrations.
Please stay close to your dear family, leaving them small signs of your love, peace and strength.
~ What you taught me~ / Mom I read the message from Andrea and it is so true. You had that gift, Eric, to make people look at themselves. Without being pushy or preachy, you made your point. Usually making me laugh at what I thought was a big problem. How I miss that. How I miss you. I think of you every day but I can't get on this site so much. It just brings me down so bad. I know you wouldn't want that. Marcy does such a great job, decorating and taking care of your site. Always lookin' out for her bro. I know this was a hard month for the Wornkeys. Darren has been gone 4 years now. Who would have thought you guys would all leave us so soon. What's up with that? Tyler is getting to be such a young man. So tall and handsome, with your crazy sense of humor. Totally off the wall. He talks of you often and he will never forget you. Tracy is doing well. She is coming up on 10 months clean and seems to like her job. She seems happier than she's been in a long time. Thank God for that. Marcy is plugging along on her schoolwork. First one to go to college. She deserves a big hand for all her hard work. I know you would be proud of all of them! Dad is doing better, especially since Trinity has came into our lives. She has helped to heal all of our hearts. She's a beauty and a gift. The Lord does work in mysterious ways! I am enjoying having Tracy home with us. It is so wonderful to see her recovering. The grandkids are truly a blessing, even if these old bones get tired at times. Life is good, Eric. I am grateful to be able to say that because there was a time I thought I would never be able to smile again. Even now I write this with tears in my eyes. You have blessed my life, along with all the loved ones God has provided for this journey. I will see you again and I look so forward to that day. Until then, Hang loose and know you are forever in my heart. Peace. Your loving MamaClose
I haven't visited the page in a while and I apologize. It seems like we get so wrapped up in the small sh*t that's going on in our lives that we forget what's really important. Something happened to a close friend of mine today, as you know, and it put me in my place to stop whining and complaining about the little things in life. Sometimes we just need a wake a up call to remember what is TRULY important. Not things like getting behind on work, worrying about paying for a trip, etc. Anyways, I just wanted to say hi and thank you for being, you. I know you still listen, but I miss the phone conversations where you would tell me just how it is. You don't find many honest people around, at least I haven't, so I cherish and miss the honestly and loyalty you possess. Miss you lots and love you even more!!
Well….I don’t really know how to start off but Marcy, I read your Dear Editor letter to Crime Stoppers.
I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you felt that way. I hope in time your feelings have changed. I know you don’t know the work that I have put and will continue to put into the Erics case. It was my suggestion; I contacted KSN to do another slot on Erics accident. I shouldn’t call it an accident because I’m sure the driver that hit him knew he hit something. Maybe at that time he didn’t know it was a person, but I’m sure he knew he hit something and should have stopped.
And the part about me saying Eric was walking down the middle of the street….I spoke with a witness that saw him, actually spoke to him just prior to the accident and verbally told me the last time he saw him was walking down the middle of the highway. When he was struck, you are correct, he was on the right had side of the road, that is in my investigation.
You are right I misspoke on the time frame during the interview. I’m sorry…maybe I should get my “STORY STRAIGHT TO DO A CRIME STOPPER REPORT”. But Marcy your putting a lot of inaccuracies in this letter.
And to state that I only did this because your family will not give up on who did this. I HAVEN’T GIVEN UP ON WHO DID THIS. I have talked to your dad, and told him to feel free to call me anytime, and that I would call him when I had anything new. When I got a new possible suspect, (that truck driver out of Labette County) I called him. Unfortunately that didn’t pan out. I had even mentioned about getting a phsycic to come see what they could do, but as I explained to your father when I mentioned it to him, I didn’t have the authority to do that. He stated he understood that probably wouldn’t fly.
When you said I made it sound like if this person want to turn himself in, fine, if not don’t worry about it, its just another hood off the street. Marcy I know you look at this from your point of view, but if you were the guy that hit Eric, would you turn yourself in if I made it sound more that way, or “AS SOON AS I FIND THIS TRUCK DRIVER I’M FILING MURDER CHARGES ON HIM”. Trust me if I ever find this guy, he’ll get whatever I can throw at him, but I have to know who he is first.
I know you probably have many sleepless nights, but don’t even think that you’re the only one who’s had sleepless night about deaths.
Marcy…my family goes to church in Pawnee Rock, and we drive by the scene of Erics death every Sunday. Do you really think that I just drive by, and it doesn’t cross my mind?
And what really fired me up is that last sentence, “you can tell by the look on his face that he doesn’t really care, he just wanted to be left alone. He has no compassion for human life”. Don’t even go there…..you don’t know me. Talk to anyone who knows me and I’m sure you will hear different.
Marcy that night I saw you in Seward….I could tell you were upset. I’m sorry I called you Tracy, I didn’t know you. What do you expect of me? If you have question about anything in the investigation just come ask. I would be more than happy to go over everything I have done. I you have suggestions on what I can do, I would be more than happy to listen.
Marcy....I didn't know your brother very well. I personally never had any problems with him. I know alot of the people he hung around with and again personally never had any problems with them. My sister knew Eric from years back, but that was my extent of knowledge of Eric.
Marcy, again I hope your feelings have changed somewhat, and I don’t mean to fire you up if they haven’t, but I’ve been looking at these pages on this particular website, Myspace, and the close this chapter website.
For what it means coming from me, I think these are really good pages and are put together really nice.
I just wanted you to hear from me and I wanted you to try to see things from my perspective.
Think about it, today is Feb 13th 2008. If I didn’t care or have forgot about Erics case, I wouldn’t have found these pages or even seen your letter. I have debated on writing you for a while, but here it is.
Trinity Raye Reeves / Tracy (sis)
Wow! A little girl. You should see her Eric. She's such a little angel. Has your laid back, "It's all good" attitude. Thank you! Makes me sad to think she'll never know you but it makes me smile to think that she has an angel in Heaven looking over her. Tyler is so good with her. Gentle and protective, just like you were with him. Only a matter of time 'til he's "drop kicking Barney". So much has happened since you've been gone. Good and bad... but we've made it through with your help. Felt you with me in the operating room when she was being born. What a sense of peace you brought me. Git 'er done, and I did. I envy you in Heaven, must always feel like that for you. Just wanted you to know I love you and think of you often. Loving you until forever, Tracy Close
Reminders/ Tracy (sister) Hi Eric, Sometimes I can feel your spirit with me. I'll hear a laugh in a crowd of people that makes me turn around and look for you. Then I remember you're there in Heaven. Makes me sad for a minute but then I feel the peace you always wished for me to have. I know I'm not alone and you're sending me reminders. Wish you could be here to meet your new niece or nephew in November but I'll make sure he or she knows all about you and how special you are. I have a feeling a lot more than your middle name will be part of the baby's personality. God help us all!! Just kidding!! Anyways, Eric, I just wanted to tell you that I'm thinking of you. I always remember how determined you were in all that you did and it helps give me strength and courage to continue on this journey. Hang loose lil brother. Loving you always, Tracy Close
I have such a hard time looking at this site. It's a beautiful tribute but these pictures hold so many memories.It just hurts! Marcy is great to take such good care of it. But she always was your keeper. Halloween is coming around again. I think of how you loved to have the kids stop and trick or treat you. The holidays are just not the same without you. Tracy is due in November. Tyler wants a boy. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Sonogram doesn't tell. Oil prices going up again. You'd be kicking butt in the oilfields now! Makin some big bucks. But I guess money doesn't matter now. You have all you need. I miss you so much it hurts. But this is God's plan and we'll have to accept that.I will see you again. How I miss that look of yours and "what's up, mamma?" the way only you could say it. God bless you and help us all to carry on. Love you 4 ever. Mamma
expecting and hoping / Tracy ("big" sis )
Hey Eric, Remember how you always said to expect the worst and hope for the best? Well lately everything's been going pretty good and it kind of makes me nervious. I just keep waiting for the worst, know what I mean? Don't know what's gonna happen with Shane when he goes to court. It'll be hard having Trinity Raye here all by myself so I hope he isn't gone for too much longer. Guess we both know how the courts can be. You can kill someone just don't have a roach in your pocket when you do it right?! That's justice for ya! School is going well, I'm Microsoft Word certified and I take my Excel testing tomorrow. I'm ready to do something with myself. Like Marcy said, I don't know how but it seems like I'm doing it! Thanx for all your help. You really are an angel!! Hang loose baby bro. Missing you always! Until forever... Close
Tributes and Condolences
Hi Eric,
Add to favorites 
