Eric Charles Van Middelem II, 53, of Parkland, FL passed from this life to an eternal life on Friday November 21, 2025. He was a faithful Christian and, while he wasn't ostentatious about it, he loved and knew Jesus was his Savior and he was ready to go home to be with God and Jesus after fiercely battling colon cancer for the past several years. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Eileen Van Middelem, and their children Amelia and Harrison; his siblings Kristin Bayless (Rod), Michael Van Middelem, Patrick Van Middelem, Mike Massingill (Claire), and Karin Linville (Jack); his mother, Joan Massingill; his father, Eric Van Middelem Sr.; as well as many in-laws and numerous nieces and nephews who all loved him dearly. He is preceded in death by his step-father Jerry Massingill as well as his grandparents Ed and Eva "Frankie" Vrana, and Charles and Nancy Ann Van Middelem.

Eric was born on September 27, 1972 in Ft Lauderdale, FL. He attended school at Westminster Academy in Ft Lauderdale from kindergarten through 12th grade, moving on to FAU where he was a member of Pi Lamda Phi fraternity and graduated with a BA in Business Administration. Eric went on to work in his family's citrus business, Mack's Groves that had locations in Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. As part of his work, he was a member of the Florida Gift Fruit Shippers Association and it was at one of their conferences that Eric met his wife, Eileen. After marrying in 2003, they began to build a life together and welcomed and raised their beloved children. After Mack's Groves was sold, Eric shifted his professional focus and was able to work in a field that utilized his passion for plants and all things outdoors. At the time of his passing, Eric worked with a wonderful team at LandCare Landscape Management.

He was a lifelong Miami Dolphins fan and a Miami Heat fan from the beginning of the organization and had season tickets to both for many years. He was a dedicated member of his fantasy football league for 32 years with his team, the Killa Bees. He liked hanging out with his friends and had many life-long friends from every aspect of his life- from pre-school on. He enjoyed fishing and boating, skateboarding, live music- heavy metal in particular, a great meal -like a rib-eye, a well-made Old Fashioned and a sweet dessert. He was an amazing cook and those of us who knew, were more than willing to wait the hours it took him to meticulously prepare one of his many culinary masterpieces. Most of all, Eric loved spending time with his family and especially playing with his children- board games, card games, riding bikes, swimming, fishing, playing football and basketball, watching movies – he did it all, and he read or listened to podcasts with Amelia and Harrison every night. He attended every school performance, recital and game and loved being able to serve as assistant coach for Harrison's kindergarten flag football team and Amelia's flag football team the last two years, even on days he came straight from chemo to the field. He was always so patient, steadfast, hard-working, loyal, smart, easy-going, and fun and all these qualities and more made him the absolute best father, husband, son, and friend.

Eric's life may have been simple by comparison to some, but his impact, on those who were lucky enough to know him, is deep and meaningful beyond measure. We were truly blessed to have him and will miss him forever.

In lieu of flowers, Eric requested that donations be made to Inheritance of Hope, an organization that gave our family cherished time together during a retreat and supported us throughout his battle with colon cancer. You can [DONATE HERE] https://inheritanceofhope.org/donate/ .

We invite Eric's friends and family attending the service to write down their favorite fun, funny, or kind memories of him so we can preserve them for Amelia and Harrison to treasure in the years ahead. And in true Eric fashion, we invite everyone to come as they are most comfortable, especially if that means wearing Miami Heat or Dolphins gear, or his favorite color, purple.

Please join us for our upcoming service on November 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
Follow the Zoom link below to watch the service live:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87626704505?pwd=8BaYUmWZkgUTTtrLMzYuatTRKoyB2X.1