The Quiet Passing of Eric Aryeh Mahr (1955-2010)

I was broken hearted to learn of the loss of my friend and colleague Eric Mahr. This was as fine a man as I have known--unassuming, straight, simple and kind; an ehrliche Yid whose passing has effected me more than I would have guessed.

I learned that Eric had left us from our mutual friend Michael Netzer, whose telling of the story makes it difficult to breath.

Eric and [his wife] Jody flew to Buffalo, NY, last week to attend the funeral of Jody’s father… and another one of Eric’s uncle. Eric was very close to both. Way too much sorrow and grief for one family, one man, to suffer at once. One funeral after the other. But Eric was almost done. Only one more eulogy for his uncle left to give. His heart, ripped into shreds, pressed on with love, grief, memories and praise. At the grave. Pressed on so hard that it couldn’t press on anymore. That’s when Eric collapsed. Giving the eulogy at his uncle’s grave. His heart. His soul. Collapsed at the grave...Way too much sorrow. (read more here)

Eric bridged many worlds--comics, Torah, publishing...many more. After moving to Israel from Buffalo, NY, he single-handedly established and maintained a comics-publishing niche for observant Jews. We spent time together at San Diego ComicCon and I later had the great merit to edit Balm in Gilead for his MW Publications. I recall Eric phoning from Israel in 2006 while small Israeli communities were under constant attack during the Second Lebanon War; he was deeply concerned and humbly asked if I'd contribute to a publishing project to help children who were living in shelters, having been made homeless by the bombs. This project meant so much to him. Everything he did meant so much to him.

Forgive me, my dear friend Eric, for not showing you the tremendous respect in this world that I'm sure you'll find in the next.