Eric Travis Hazer, age 74, passed away May 23, 2024 after a lengthy illness, at home with his wife Sharon and sons Cameron and Corey by his side.
Eric was born on August 5, 1949 in Modesto, California. He married Sharon Garcia in 1986 and together they raised their sons Cameron and Corey.
Eric worked most of his adult life in the manufactured housing industry. Beginning with home set up, servicing, and sales, then in the final several years as an owner/dealer with California Homes Direct in Salida until his health forced him to stop working.
Eric was an avid sports fan, attending numerous San Francisco Giants games over the years. He loved to talk about the game he attended on August 4, 1962 where he watched Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, and Felipe Alou win a close game. Later on, Eric became an avid runner, meeting his future wife Sharon at one of the many races he participated in. Together, they competed in dozens of races locally and in the Bay Area throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Eric was also a member of the Shadowchase Running Club. He completed three marathons: one along Avenue of the Giants located in Humbolt Redwoods State Park (stunningly beautiful), one in San Diego, and one in San Francisco. Eric likewise competed with a team several times in the Lake Tahoe Relays – each person running a 10-mile leg of the race. He went to many Golden State Warriors and 49ers games (he was born in 1949, so he was a “true” 49er) and loved playing golf with his friends at the Turlock Golf and Country Club. Eric and Sharon made it a point to play golf courses in their travels, including courses such as Kapalua, Mahogany Run, Cabo del Sol, Rio Mar, Playa Conchal, the Dunes at Maui Lani, Cariari, Kauai Lagoons, Mayakoba, Los Sueños, Palmilla, CordeValle, Mystic Dunes, Vista Vallarta, Edgewood, and The Challenge at Manele.
Eric was also a member of the Sportsmen of Stanislaus Club, where he was the #1 Racquetball player for a time. He spent a lot of time fly fishing a in his 20s, and later in 2002 took his son Cameron on a guided Salmon fishing trip on the Sacramento River – along with friends Ken and Mark – where Cameron landed a 45 lb. salmon! Eric also loved to ride his road bike until he had a bike accident in 2013 where he suffered a traumatic brain injury which forced him to give up biking. Eric and Sharon still enjoyed going on hikes at Lake Tahoe, and one year they made it to the top of Mt. Tallac which is the tallest peak along the immediate shoreline at an elevation of 9,738 ft. Another challenging hike was in Yosemite to the Upper Yosemite Falls.
Eric and Sharon loved their yearly trips to Maui, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. They were fortunate to be able to travel to Italy, Greece, Costa Rica, and go on several cruises including Alaska (where the highlight of the trip was a helicopter ride to the awesome Mendenhall Glacier), the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Key West, and the Bahamas, among others.
Eric is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sharon Garcia Hazer, sons Cameron Hazer and Corey Hazer, sisters Liz Hazer Prohaska and Corinne Hazer Grandstaff, stepsister Lori Kaiser Rezzonico and numerous nieces and nephews.
Eric was preceded in death by his mother Tommy Kaiser, father Burnette Travis Hazer, and brother Bobby Hazer.
Eric’s sons, Cameron and Corey, and wife Sharon were his main caregivers for the last two years of his life. The family extends a heartfelt “thank you” to the compassionate nurses, therapists, staff and volunteers from Covenant Care Home Health and Hospice who managed his care over the past ten months, and to family and friends who visited him during his illness – it meant a lot to him.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Eric at a date to be determined.
Please consider donations in Eric’s memory to Parkinson Voice Project, Covenant Care Hospice, or your favorite charity.
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