Eric was born Eric Robert Joseph Schumacher to Erie Hester Price Schumacher and Robert William Schumacher in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before the age of three, his father died in a work related accident. His mother subsequently married Bernard Leroy Chandler, who adopted him. His name was formally changed to Eric Edward Chandler August 5,1941.
Eric graduated from Trona High School in southern California where he was raised, and went onto the University of Cincinnati. He graduated from Ohio State University with a major in education and a minor in mathematics.
He married Pearl Josephine Galloway October 20, 1956, who gave him his daughter, Sherry Lynn Chandler. They were divorced January 20, 1967. Two subsequent marriages followed: Susan Trieschman, married Feb. 2, 1969, Clark County, NV, and Peggy Kay Schiffer, married August 25, 1979, Clark County, NV., before he married Tanya Marie Veater Sargent, a widow with three grown children, in Duchesne, Utah on July 16, 2004.
His love of flying was well known. He joined the U.S. Air Force and flew recognizance missions daily for nearly a year in Viet Nam. He also trained pilots at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas for three years. After his discharge, he flew 18 years for Western Airlines and United Airlines until he retired due to medical problems. That did not stop his flying; he got his own plane, and made it on the pages of the Deseret News when he had engine failure, and made a landing on a sand-bar on the Great Salt Lake. Eric was type rated in DC 10, Boeing 727, 737, and for the Air Force: F100 and F86 jet aircraft.
Other employment included substitute teaching in the Los Angeles, California area high schools, and algebra to beginning college students. Later, when he made his home in Salt Lake, he taught airplane and power plant mechanics at the Salt Lake City Community College.
Preceding him in death were his parents, and one infant grandson, Dallas Packer. Eric leaves behind his wife Tanya, daughter Sherry Packer, sister Penny Nielson (Dell Ray), and brother Jerome Chandler (Connie). Also surviving him is grandson, Sean Packer (Amanda), and one great-grandson Brady Packer; granddaughter Jamie Packer, and several nieces and nephews. He also leaves Tanya's family, whom he has been very close to. Tanya's daughter Staci Thornton, and her daughter Tiffany (Matt Watson), and her daughters, Brynn and Bailey Crocker: Shana Gardner (Jon); and Sheline Miller (Kurt), and more nieces and nephews from her side of the family.
Eric requested cremation, and asked that his ashes be scattered with those of his parents in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oahu. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
