2017 Ernie Eichhorn, Jr.

ERNIE EICHHORN, JR.

Cornea Donor

Age 34 ~ Lacey, WA

Donated on 9/25/2015

at Grays Harbor County

Honored by sightlife.org

Ernie Jr. artist’s eye brought beauty wherever he went. His incredible talent for visualizing the finished product and focus on the details sparked an amazing landscaping career. Hiking, landscaping, and scuba diving brought him joy. Ernie Jr. was with his true love, Megan, for 14 years. When Ernie Jr. lost his life in tragic automobile accident, his family learned of his decision to be a donor that very evening. As a result of Ernie Jr.’s generous decision to donate, the lives of two women in North Carolina have received the gift of sight. Ernie Jr.’s family reached out to the recipients and wrote “knowledge that he has given two people the gift of sight, and has touched your lives, brings us comfort.”

Ernie’s Story

Ernie Jr. had an artist’s eye. He saw beauty in the everyday world, and creating beauty through art was both his job and his pleasure in life. Ernie Jr. worked in the landscaping industry and brought beauty to many people through his focus on detail and his incredible talent for visualizing the finished product he was about to create. He deeply enjoyed being outdoors—especially hiking, landscaping and scuba diving—and was with his life partner, Megan, for 14 years. A friend said of their relationship, “It was true love.”

When Ernie Jr. lost his life in a tragic automobile accident, his family learned of his decision to be a donor that very evening. The family had never talked about organ or cornea donation, but it came as no surprise to them that he had checked the donation box on his driver’s license. Ernie Jr. had always been a giving soul, both as a child and adult.

As a result of Ernie Jr.’s generous decision to donate, the lives of two women in North Carolina have been transformed by restored sight. The family reached out to Ernie Jr.’s cornea recipients, writing, “Knowledge that he has given two people the gift of sight, and has touched your lives, brings us comfort.” A beloved member of his large community of friends and family, Ernie Jr. will be forever missed by all who knew him.