Dear Samtleben family,
My sincere, heartfelt condolonces on Eric's passing. I have innumerable fond memories with him that I will always cherish - from swimming at your house, spending time at the cottage in Buckhorn, doing a multi-day portage trip in Killarney, racing the Toronto Half Marathon, and most recently, spectating his cross-country race on Mount Royal here in Montreal, followed by a post-race walk in the Old Port.
I have great admiration for Eric's accomplishments - he was a testament to the power of the will, he could do anything that he set his mind to. Eric ascended to heights in both sporting and academic domains that most of us only dream of. He was a big inspiration for me to get into running, now one of my most cherished pass times, and I greatly admired his academic drive and passion.
The golden thread joining all of those memories was the quality of his friendship. He was a friend in the true sense, someone that I could always rely upon to have my back. He was honest, dependable, and caring. While his sporting and academic accomplishments were extraordinary, I feel it was his caliber as a friend that made him truly special. I am grateful for having known him and will of course miss him dearly.
Andrew Kiss
