Zentner left this world in late-2017 at the age of 38 while hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Eric spent his youth and early adulthood walking and hiking around Juneau and maintained his strong connection to his hometown community all his life. He was a pilot, diver, sailor, cold-weather cyclist, technical writer, and world traveler. But, most of all, Eric was a loving, kind, and generous friend and family member.
Eric was a good friend to many single mothers and observed the difficult challenges faced by women raising children on their own. He quietly helped out whenever he could. Shortly following his passing, his family established the Rocinante Memorial Fund to carry Eric’s generous spirit forward by providing grants to low-income single mothers for preschool tuition and learning materials.
All who knew Eric, or have been touched by the courage and love of a single mom working to make a living while securing the best early education possible for her child, are invited to contact the Juneau Community Foundation to contribute to the Rocinante Memorial Fund in Eric’s honor.
Read more about Eric’s life at http://www.ericjzentner.com.
In April 2024, Eric’s family created the Rocinante Scholarship Fund to provide annual awards to undergraduate single mothers enrolled full-time at the University of Alaska Southeast.
