The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) mourns the passing of Foundation Patient Council member Eric Pitcher. He passed away on Friday, November 4, at age 63.

A Dallas native, Eric spent his career in the oil and gas industry, first as a chemical engineer at Amoco Production Company, then as an advisor and venture partner to numerous start-ups in oil and gas, as well as real estate and medical technology. As an expert in his field, Eric was appointed to The University of Texas (UT) Petroleum Engineering External Advisory Committee, UT Chancellor’s Council Executive Committee, and to the Board of Directors at several energy-related companies.

Eric generously supported various local charities and was active with Great Investors’ Best Ideas benefitting MJFF’s research programs. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008 and joined the Foundation’s Patient Council in 2012. Eric was a loving husband to his wife Liz, and devoted father to his children Heather, Michelle, Travis, Ethan and Ava.

The MJFF Patient Council was established in March 2009 as a formal channel for the Foundation to solicit input from PD patients and the broader Parkinson's community. The Council advises the Foundation on programmatic fronts including (but not limited to) strategies to best convey patient priorities to the research community and its funders; content and emphasis for patient education and outreach relevant to MJFF's mission to find a cure; patient roles in developing novel ways to conduct research; and mechanisms for impact assessment.