Coach Eric Alvarez of Rotan, Texas was killed tragically in a car accident November 6, 2005 near Ballinger, Texas. He is survived by his wife Crystal and his daughter Reagan, and the Alvarez and Young families. Jenna Young, sister to Crystal, was also killed in the accident.

Coach Eric was the kind of person who truly loved his kids that he coached, and loved the field of athletics. Rotan was his first coaching job and he was very happy to be there. He was looking forward to baseball season, and to the next school year when he would be teaching History in High School. He told us many times that he was "living his dream." He was an incredible inspiration for the kids he coached, always someone who encouraged those around him.

He loved his wife and his daughter very much, loved his family, especially his Mom - sometimes calling her up to three times in one day just to tell her "I love you, Mom". He made everyone of us feel like we were his very best friend. We are all made better people because we were priveledged to know him.

Eric Dwayne Alvarez
January 8, 1980 - November 6, 2005

[excerpted from the Abilene Reporter-News by permission of Editor Terri Burke]
Saturday, May 13th, 2006

Some notes from visitors to this page...

Wed, 12 Jul 2006

We really appreciate your time, effort, and personal touch to this story. It took us until now to be able to visit this site. We always knew it was there but just could not look at the memories just yet. It is beautiful. Thank you for your work and sense of caring and dedication that you expressed for Eric and our family. Eric truly is a beautiful person that cared for people and would give the shirt off of his own back to help someone else. We enjoyed getting to know you and Teresa as well.

God Bless You Both,
Rey Jr ,Shanna, Ashleigh, & Brittany Alvarez

Mon, 6 Nov 2006

I was a former teammate of Eric at HSU and was also in many classes with him as we shared the same degree plan. It is hard to believe that it was one year ago today that his life was tragically taken away from us. I had the opportunity to share in many good times with Eric and wanted to thank you for the website.

Ryan Devere

Fri, 17 Nov 2006

I loved Coach Alvarez and he is dearly missed! We will always love him for everything he as ever done to help us, in what ever it may be!!

Janis Robinson

Tue, 26 Dec 2006

We love you!

Alicia Almanza

Mon, 1 Jan 2007

I loved Coach (Alvarez) I miss him sitting in our class.
He was funny and made me like coming to school.

Danny

Mon, 8 Jan 2007

Happy B-Day We miss u

Alicia Almanza

Fri, 19 Jan 2007

I stumbled across this website tonite. My heart was heavy from missing Eric.
I started just Google'ing his name and found it.
It makes me feel close to him, for time has passed and sometimes it seems I can't see him anymore.
So, I was glad to find this.

Thanks,
Josie Alvarez

Sun, 21 Jan 2007

Thank you so much for taking the time to remember my little brother and share his story with anyone that might find this site.
Please continue to keep our family in you thought and prayers.

Thank you,
Bobby Alvarez

Tue, 30 Jan 2007

Hi. I am Eric's sister.
Thank you so much for honoring my baby brother's memory in such a special and loving way.
He was like my baby. I was in the 6th grade when he blessed our lives.
I carried him around like he was my own!
After graduating from HSU I taught in Odessa nd Eric would spend summers with me there.
He was spoiled rotten but I loved doing it!:)
Sometimes when I am missing him I look at this website, but have never signed in as a visitor.
It has been over a year now but still seems like yesterday that our lives were changed forever.
I am so grateful that Eric had the opportunity to meet so many nice people like yourselves.
I miss him, but I know he is resting with our Lord.
We will all be together again sometime.

Thanks again,
Kathy Alvarez Swinney

Thursday, November 15, 2007

This is such an "AWESOME" Memorial! I miss Eric, my little Bro. soooo much.
I felt that we were the same in so many ways.
He loved music, any kind of music, and sometimes when I hear a song, I say to myself that Eric would have loved this song.

On November 6, 2007 Mom, Dad, Great Grandma, Aunt Janie, my son Adam, Rey Jr., Aunt Shanna, Ashleigh and Brittany gathered at his gravesite and cried and prayed together.
Not much was said.
My Dad has taken such BEAUTIFUL love and care of Eric's resting place!!
It looks like a President's burial place.
Dad, Mom, Crystal and family members got the most beautiful Grave Stone for Eric.
Dad even ordered some Texas Ranger Baseball dirt that he lovingly put around this.
Just wanted to share this with all of you beautiful people.
Thanks again!!

Thanks Eric for being such a blessing in our lives!!
I think about and miss you morning noon and night baby Bro.

Love, your big sis,
Kay

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

As I sit in my son and daughter-in-law's den with the baby monitor by my side, I am reminded of the sadness the Alvarez family certainly feels every minute of every day.
My family, too, has certainly grieved the loss of precious Eric Dwayne Alvarez.

He and my son were suitemates and then roommates at HSU where they both played baseball.
When my son and his now wife, Kristin, were married in June of 2005, Eric was there as a groomsman.
It was the saddest day of Jeremy's life when he received the news of Eric's death.
To this day, he is still angry, but mostly broken-hearted, that he no longer has "Alvie" to laugh and share stories with.

I believe that on Thursday, January 10, 2008 at 1:47 p.m., sweet Eric...beloved son, husband, brother, and proud father of Reagan... was watching from heaven as Jeremy witnessed the birth of his first child, a son.
I can imagine he was laughing with joy when only one minute later, at 1:48 p.m., another baby boy was born.
As Jeremy proudly carried his new sons from the delivery room to the nursery, I thanked Alvie for being the guardian angel of little Eric Dane Smith, named in loving memory of Eric Dwayne Alvarez, and his "little" brother, Aden Glen Smith.

Jo Lynn Landrum

Monday, February 25, 2008

To Joel & Teresa Owens, I am speechless!
What a Blessing this Memorial you created has been to my broken heart and keeping our son's memory alive.
Words cannot express how reading this tonight made me feel.

All of my children are so special, each in his or her own way.
As parents, the people that our children will meet in this lifetime, we too may encounter and be Blessed by we love and thank you all for sharing your memories of Eric.

To Eric's friends: We love and thank you for sharing your memories of Eric with us.
We ache for him daily and with every breath.

Eric Dane and Aden Glen Smith born two days after Eric's Birthday.
Congratulations Jeremy, Eric must be so Honored to know that you named your son in his memory.
As Eric's parents, we are very honored and cannot wait to meet your sons!

Jo Lynn Landrum, Thank you for sharing this with us all.

Coach and Mrs. Lucas, Joel and Teresa, thank ya'll.

We Love ya'll,
Rey, Raegan and Frances Alvarez.

Monday, February 25, 2008

I didn't really know Coach (Alvarez) that well.. But I loved him alot..
He was a great Christian and he was loved by everyone at our school.
We miss you and love you lots!

See you someday,
Hunter Renae Nowlin

Monday, May 12, 2008

You are truly missed Coach! You were an inspiration to all!

Latisha Marie Jones

July 11, 2008

Coach (Alvarez) was the best coach i have ever had.
He was soo positive, and loved by everyone at the school even if they didn't have him as a coach or a teacher.
He is missed very much!!

I love and miss you coach!! You will forever be in our hearts!!!!!!

Brittany Angelica

July 13, 2008

I miss you a lot, Coach.

He was my Coach during my Junior and Senior year while I was in high school and I remmber hearing the news about his death.
It [hit] me hard since it was right after our last Senior football game.

I have dedicated a Myspace profile for him you can go to this website myspace.com/ea0629.

Love you, Coach and I will be coaching with you one day.

Chris Gonzales

Editor's Note: Chris has put together a nice tribute to Eric, a number of his former students are on his Friends List there.

November 3, 2008

It seems hard to believe that 3 years ago on Nov. 6 we lost both Eric and Jenna, but at the same time it seems like yesterday. I vividly remember each conversation I ever had with Eric, but the one thing that stands out is how much he loved life and all the people he associated with, especially his students. He was a true friend and brother in every sense of the word and I miss him everyday.

Waymon Holland

November 7, 2008

I miss you coach, and i'll be thinking of youand i'll be thinking of you while we play your home town, and how you made me laugh and enjoy school.
You will alway be in my heart.

Timothy Soliz

March 25, 2009

I graduated from RHS in 1968. I grew up in Rotan.

This tribute just shows what a town of wonderful people can do. The kids have been great with their words.

We had our own tragedies during our high school and junior high days, and we all pulled together just as this bunch has.

It makes me so proud to see this website by the kids.

Rhonda Kelley Seymour

March 26, 2009

Coach Alvarez will always be missed! He was an amazing person!!!
He loved and treated everyone the same!!!! I LOVE & MISS YOU!!!!!

Diamantina Hernandez

March 26, 2009

Coach Alvarez was the best coach i ever had he made athletics fun for everybody who was in it.
He always had a smile on everybody's face and im going to miss him for that.
I love you and I miss you very much!

Kimmie Almanza

July 23, 2009

I have known the Alvarez Family for sometime and I am good friends with Eric's Brother Rey. I met Eric when I was coaching in Haskell. He lit up the room when he walked in to coaches meetings or games. Such an excited young man who loved his family. I knew him briefly, but every time I talked to him he spoke about Reagan and Crystal. He always pointed out his Dad who drove to his games from Stamford without his Mom knowing.

I ache for his family because I know how tragic it is to loose a baby brother. There are no words that can heal such a deep loss. I only know that I hold on to dear memories of Eric. He told me once that he had two hero's and I knew he was a baseball fan so I expected to hear those names. Instead he said his Hero's were his Mom and Dad. What a tribute to him and his parents. I still go by his graveside when I am in Stamford. I love coaching and I hope that I can carry myself with the integrity and caring heart that Eric displayed!

To Kay, Bobby, and Rey hold on to your brothers strength and enthusiasm for life. He always took time to say hi to me and he bragged on his brother Rey everytime I talked to him. I pray for you and know that Eric loved you. He told me often when we visited before games and talked about our families. I don't know what else to say except that till this day I hurt for you so bad that I can't bring myself to talk to your Mom and Dad although I have seen them a couple of times. I know I would break down and I don't know if that would do them any good. It is 12:55 A.M. and I have shed more than a few tears as I wrote this to your family.

May God Bless,
Coach Toby Villa
Head Boys Basketball Coach
Kempner H.S.

God bless you all and thank you for your continued support and encouraging comments.

If Eric had one quality that stood out among the others, it would have to be his faith in God and in God's Word. His life was lived as an example to everyone he was around. I have to believe in my heart that Eric would want you to experience the same blessings that he had in his life. Those are the blessings that can be found by being obedient to Christ Jesus by repenting of your old life of wrong and separation from God, finding the remission of sins in the grave of water immersion, and to be resurrected into a new and eternal life with God. Romans 6, I Corinthians 15, Acts 2, I Peter 3 It is my hope that you will consider this as you remember what the values of Eric's life were.

Sincerely yours,
Joel and Teresa Owens.