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TO: EXPRESS NEWS
FROM: MISSION
PARK NORTH
DATE TO RUN: THURSDAY-MARCH 30, 2006
WITH PHOTO
DOPP
Eric Michael Dopp, age 26, died Friday, March
24, 2006 at Brooke Army Medical Center of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on March 4, 2006. Born March 25, 1979
in Andrews, Texas, he was a son of David and Diana (Williams)
Dopp. Eric was a firefighter/Paramedic with the City of Leon Valley
and a volunteer Lieutenant/ Paramedic with the Windcrest Fire Department. On
the day of his accident, he was returning from his part-time job as a medic at Six
Flags Theme Park. Eric’s
only goal and dream in life was to become a paid firefighter. He achieved his
goal in June 2005 after he passed the National Registry Paramedic exam when Leon
Valley hired him as a firefighter.
He loved his job and he loved his crew. He often said he felt guilty about
taking a paycheck for having so much fun. As a youth of twelve, he often walked home from middle school. Every time, he stopped at the Windcrest Fire Station to pester any firefighters there. At the age of seventeen, he began attending the Wednesday training sessions at the Windcrest station. At the age of eighteen and still a junior in high school, he joined the Windcrest
Fire Department as a volunteer. He relentlessly pursued his education, both in firefighting and as an EMT. Eventually, he became a certified basic firefighter instructor and the Windcrest Department chose him as
a lieutenant. He continued his education at the UT Health Science Center
Paramedic program. He took the National Paramedic registry exam in May 2005 and
passed it the first time. While pursuing his education, he often looked for different
jobs. He worked for the Hays
County Sheriff’s Office as a medic at the county jail. While in school, he also worked part-time on the University
Hospital transplant team. He enjoyed flying all over Texas, helping to collect donor organs, and preparing the organs for the transplant surgeons
on the other end. His was an important job, but when people asked him what he
did, he usually replied, “I’m the guy who carries the cooler.”
Eric was a modest
man who lived to serve his community and his fellow man. He was extremely proud
of being an Eagle Scout, yet most of his friends never knew that about him. He
often went out of his way to help his friends, and he never met anyone who was not a friend. Survivors include his parents,
brother Brian (Renate) Dopp of San Antonio, brother David (Mary), Junior of LaGrange, GA., brother Darien (Pam) Dopp and sister
Denelle (Robert) Miller of Newnan, GA, paternal grandparents Maurice and Hazel Dopp of Flowery Branch, GA, and numerous aunts,
uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. His maternal grandparents James and Ola Jane (Chapman) Williams preceded him in death.
Visitation will be Friday, March 31 from 5:00PM until 9:00PM at Mission
Park Funeral Chapels North. The Leon
Valley and Windcrest Fire Departments with many other departments participating,
will honor Eric with a firefighter’s funeral. Services will be at the Windcrest
Methodist Church, Windcrest, TX on Saturday, April 1, 2006. Burial will be at
Mission Park Retama
Cemetery in Selma, TX. A luncheon reception will follow at the
Windcrest Fire Station, 8601 Midcrown, Windcrest, TX.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Eric Dopp Memorial Firefighters Fund at any Security Service
Federal Credit Union Branch. Anyone not having a SSFCU branch in their area can call 1-800-527-7328 and inform the teller
they want to make a bank transfer into the Memorial Fund for Eric Dopp.
You may sign the on-line guestbook at www.missionparks.com under the obituary section.
MISSION
PARK
FUNERAL CHAPELS NORTH
3401 CHERRY RIDGE DRIVE
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
78230
210-349-1414
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