Eric James Arntz, 51, of Baker City, passed away Feb. 23 at his residence.

Eric was born May 7, 1966. He was raised in Seattle, Wash., and graduated from Shorecrest High School in 1984. He joined the Air Force in 1986 and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.  After discharge in 1990, he moved to Flagstaff, Ariz., and attended Northern Arizona University, and later worked at Nestle Purina in the drafting and engineering department. He married  in 1997, and moved to LaGrande. He worked for Anderson Perry Construction in LaGrande from 1998 to 2015, was self employed (Taurus Drafting & Construction) for two years, and then worked at Natural Structure in Baker City. In 2009, he remarried and moved to Baker City.

He loved the outdoors, hunting, camping, playing his guitar, singing, dancing, creating things from wood, riding his motorcycle, building and flying his model planes, and spending time with his family, especially his children.

Eric is survived by his wife, Markay; their son, Aidan, and stepdaughter, Allie; his first wife, Karen; and their two children, Grace and Nathan; his parents, Leonard and Sharon Arntz; sister, Kristin Arntz; and a large, close-knit family of cousins, aunts, and uncles.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Pioneer Presbyterian Church in Burns.

Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Eric to the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, or the National Organization for Rare Diseases to aid in the research of Primary Lateral Sclerosis through Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To light a candle in honor of Eric, please visit: www.grayswestco.com.