| Location | La Jolla,ca |
| Age | 33 years |
| Date of Birth | 10/1972 |
| Date of Death | 8/2006 |
| Visitors | 2,859 since 24/09/2006 |
| Creator |
Eric,I make this site in your memory,I am greatful of the time I had getting to know you,your beautiful,positive,loving attitude.
your sense of humour,I am thankful that you sprinkled love,joy,hope and faith over my life.Thankyou so much.
I was surprised,and yes like you found it ironic that you were researching cancer,and then it was cancer that took you home to heaven.And I am comforted knowing that you are free of pain now,smiling down upon me,upon many of us that you loved so much,and took the time to embrace.
you taught me many things,the main thing that comes to mind,well,the value of love,of friendship,thankyou so much for that eric.
I think about your precious family,though i never knew them,I hold them in my heart and prayers.
God bless you Eric..
Dudl, Eric Preston
DUDL, ERIC PRESTON October 22, 1972 to August 30, 2006 It is with heavy heart we write that our strong, brave wonderful son Eric passed away peacefully in his father's arms succumbing to a cancer that could not be stopped by all known medical treatments. He was caring to the end; the last thoughts were unselfishly for his work, family and dear girlfriend Lilia. Eric was a loveable child with a quick wit and incredible intellect. He grew up in La Jolla, graduating from La Jolla High School in 1990. He went on to earn a degree in biochemistry from the University of Illinois in 1994. He chose to continue his education at the University of Southern California where he was awarded a PhD in biochemistry and immunology in 2005. He had just begun a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Burnham Institute following his passion for Cancer research. Eric published several research papers focusing on cancer at the cellular level. It was his wish that he could contribute lasting research that would save lives. Cancer did not stop Eric from going to work every day when he was out of the hospital. His courage in the face of pain was a source of wonder to his family and friends. Eric set his goals and standards high and achieved them in spite of great difficulties. He had a love of things intellectual, humorous, philosophical and political. The last few months of his life were filled with love, family, laughter and soccer. Our family was able to travel to the 2006 World Cup in Germany in June where he attended a match. He said it was the best trip of his life. Eric is survived by his father and mother, Robert James and Barbara Dudl; his brother, Bret; the Jasso, Gonzalas, and Diaz families, and the love of his life Lilia Castro. He will be missed by many more family members, collogues and friends. A Memorial Service will be held from 1-4 p.m., Sunday, September 10th, at the Darlington House in La Jolla, 7441 Olivetas Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the: Eric Dudl Scholarship Fund Burnham Institute, 10911 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037. COURAGE IS THE POWER TO CONFRONT A WORLD THAT IS NOT ALWAYS FAIR. IT IS THE REFUSAL TO BEG FOR WHAT WILL NEVER BE GIVEN AGAIN. IT IS LOVING LIFE EVEN IN THE FACE OF DEATH. IT IS EMBRACING FAMILY AND FRIENDS EVEN WHEN WE FEAR TO LOSE THEM. IT IS OPENING OURSELVES TO LOVE, EVEN FOR THE LAST TIME. COURAGE IS SELF-ESTEEM. IT PREFERS QUIET DETERMINATION TO WHINING. IT PREFERS DOING TO WAITING. IT AFFIRMS THAT EXITS, LIKE ENTRANCES, HAVE THEIR OWN DIGNITY. Eric was, is, and always will be our wonderful, brave, intelligent, fun, funny, loving, caring, big-hearted, son who loved and cared about all of you and us. We will miss him dearly and he will live on in our thoughts forever. Love, The Dudl Family
diary of a networking superstar
Oddly enough, that doesn't stop the fear from coming. I sometimes still can't believe it, but I have to struggle against an inherent fear of meeting people that I've had my whole life. Even now, after years of experience, and TONS of positive consequences, I still get this initial fear. It goes away eventually.
- eric
Eric's words
I won't bore you with the details, but I was on the edge of my seat during his entire lecture.
How geeky is that? I don't care, I'm a geek and I love it!
--Eric Preston Dudl (a.k.a. Wasaaaaabi)
thankyou eric for sharing such moments
A Tribute to Wasaaaaabi
I remember looking out in the crowd. People I didn't know were coming up to me to thank me and congratulate me.
--Eric Preston Dudl (a.k.a. Wasaaaaabi)
thankx go getter for listing these xx
A Tribute to Wasaaaaabi
It was important because it was the first time I took a massive risk and got a massive reward. The event was the most successful in our graduate school.
--Eric Preston Dudl (a.k.a. Wasaaaaabi)
love you eric
We've started a trend that continues to this day. Bioscope is now an annual event. It's such an amazing experience to see when you try something that goes right. I certainly didn't do it alone. People from the grad student organization helped me make calls. Friends of mine provided contacts. One student group even gave me money to fly down a speaker from San Francisco. Mostly, though, my friends helped to create a buzz about the event which caused a massive turnout.
--Eric Preston Dudl (a.k.a. Wasaaaaabi)
love you eric
A Tribute to Wasaaaaabi
Bioscope 2000 was in large part my brainchild. It ended up being one of the most successful events for our program. It was so great, we decided to make it a yearly tradition. I hadn't participated in setting up a Bioscope since 2002, but I saw that it was still happening. Now that I'm out of USC, I'm so glad to see that it's outlasted me. It's my legacy. This is why I network. I actually felt a bit choked up.
--Eric Preston Dudl (a.k.a. Wasaaaaabi)
Quotes for the man behind a great thread (and for those who cared about him)
Death ends a life, not a relationship. - Robert Benchley
Never to suffer would never to have been blessed. - Edgar Allan Poe
The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. - Unknown
Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character. — Albert Einstein
how long does a man live?
how long does a man live? Is it as long as you can touch him or is it as long as he touches you? . . . " To me that means I never have to give up anyone; just their bodies. They will always continue to touch me.
love to you Eric
Courage is the power to confront a world that is not always fair.
It is the refusal to beg for what will never be given again.
It is loving life even in the face of death.
It is embracing family and friends even when we fear to lose them.
It is opening ourselves to love, even for the last time.
Courage is Self-Esteem.
It prefers quiet determination to whining.
It prefers doing to waiting.
It affirms that exits, like entrances, have their own dignity.
eric review
Today I want to do a factual review Eric�s life focusing on the last 7 years. We will present some of the negative as well as the positive attributes. And at the end ask you "are there lessons that will help someone I know?" If so, it would further Eric�s expressed wish to continue to do good for society after he passed away"
By the end of this presentation, you will have heard a story of how Eric, who through, motivation, self-education and hard work, metamorphosed from a somewhat shy, lackadaisical, person to someone who became focused and highly productive, who learned how to give to others, and found the love of his life.
Eric started out as a pretty ordinary guy. He was somewhat self-conscious, uncomfortable in social situations, and was one who dated only casually, similar to a lot of young men. He did not stand out in school academically or in sports.
Even after college, he did nothing for a few months, and then got a job as a clerk for about $7/hr, which he did for about 9 months. Eric he felt like he just couldn�t do much. He would plan to do a lot, but found himself daydreaming, procrastinating, and he was discouraged.
Then at 26yo, something happened. He became dissatisfied with himself he wanted to take action. He wanted to get motivated, and with self help advise like that from Tony Robbins and others, and felt the beginnings of motivation. He told me he wanted to go back to college, and do something positive.
How was this going to happen? After reading "The 7 habits of highly effective people" he felt building good HABITS would become his vehicle to success, and he started trying to build them. However a vehicle needs to be driven someplace, so he next used the books to help himself set up goals:
* Academics/business: he would work harder and wanted to accomplish something beneficial to society,
* Social; he wanted to find out what it would take to make friends and become socially at ease,
* Physical: he wanted to get fit,
* Spiritual, Love: he wanted a deep meaningful relationship.
That is quite a challenge! How did he do? Lets look at what happened using these goals as our template.
For academics/business,
* He got accepted at USC. When working on his PhD he started to put in long hours, as planned. When I would call on nights & Sundays, he was often in the lab. This was clearly a change in the right direction however,
* That turned out to not be enough. His mentor told him, yes, Eric you are here long hours but you don�t accomplish enough. So how do you accomplish more? Again Steven Covey and others taught him to set goals, targets, tasks, breaking them down as short as 10 min increments and then staying focused until done,
Slowly month by month, he became more and more productive until finally he got his PhD. From this he developed self esteem, and was so proud of that achievement because he knew it was the result of solid new habits of work ethic and targeted productivity that he could build on for the next level: The Burnham Institute for Cancer Research.
Burnham was his big leap forward. He was so impressed with his mentor, John Reed, he could hardly contain himself. He said John would work with him as his guide, help him develop ideas and experiments, and make sure he had what he needed to succeed. But what evidence do have this lasted? After he had a hospitalization for a lung clot a friend suggested he take disability. He told me "why would I do that, I have the perfect job. Why would anyone give that up?"
But again what is the evidence that show he actually worked long and productively?
* He did manage to work out 3 of the paths of NF Kappa B in the short time he was working and more importantly,
* Eric never missed a single day of work when he wasn�t hospitalized!
In addition, He felt so strongly that the Burnham was doing the right thing he left as much money as he could to allow someone else to continue on with the work. When I mentioned this to John Reed he was supported this concept by offering to develop an Eric Dudl Scholarship fund*.
Social: the first inkling that there was a problem was from Mr. Franklin his 6th grade teacher who wrote on his report: "some day, Eric, you will learn to give people what they want". Again he hit the self-help books, and again success did not happen instantaneously. But eventually he became less SELF conscious, and started focusing on the other person.
What proof do we have? Here is a quote from an article he wrote July 06 for the Burnham BUZZ entitled "Networking: it�s a habit, not just something you do".
"It�s a skill you can develop. It has to become part of you. ""you need to know the people with whom your are networking: that means you learn more about who they are, what they do, and most importantly WHAT THEY WANT. When you help them get what the want WHILE EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN, then you�re networking. They will remember you as someone who genuinely wants to help."
Don�t you think this applies beyond networking into all his interactions?
Did it work?
* 30 people drove down from LA, to provide a LUNCH for Eric, and this visibly important to Eric. One of them told me a story: late on a Friday night she was having problems with a flow cytometry machine. Without being asked, Eric walked up to her and said "can I help?" and he kept helping. She was so impressed she wanted to support him in this challenge.
* Orla Cox, and friend from Ireland just wrote this and I quote "one thing that I always noticed, was how giving he was. He never came empty handed and every time he would call first "what time? What do you need? What can we bring" she asked him "how do you feel, you sound so positive but how do you really feel?" and he replied "I�m ok, you know the hardest part about this right now Orla, is how hard it is for everyone else, I think it�s tougher on them to listen and watch and not be able to do anything" �she said "I was so touched by that, it was so typical of Eric to be thinking more about everyone else than himself."
Exercise: this was tough, he because he really didn�t like exercise, but he did start 24 hr fitness in LA, and that beginning of an exercise habit paid off in his illness. He had to take cortisone like drug during his illness that breaks down muscle. He understood that exercise could counter that breakdown, and started a daily routine. At 5AM EVERY morning I would be awakened by his car starting as he went off to 24 hr fitness for 45 min of treadmill work. When his breathing got worse, and he asked me what he could do. We called on Mike Wilder a lung specialist who suggested he could strap a small tank of oxygen to his back and it may help. He came back excited, it worked! It allowed him to continue exercise until two days before his last hospitalization. Mike estimates that allowed him to continue to function 50% longer.
Spiritual: love. Again he read many books. By now he had his new philosophy of listening to and helping others and that helped. But in love it�s also good to be lucky, and luck smiled on him with the acquaintance of Lilia whom he met at work. She was a Yale graduate magna cum lade, obviously smart. However I think more importantly she already had his newly acquired philosophy of giving. There relationship grew. True to herself, when she found out about his tumor, she did only become closer to him. She has been remarkably steadfast for him in his illness, calling daily, coming down almost weekly from Los Angeles.
What evidence do we have that he loved her? While I don�t know details of what was said, I can tell you when she would call, his body would relax, and he would break into a smile and give out a little "yea" then laugh. In addition, the bond was so strong that near the end when the doctor gave him bad news, the first words out of his mouth was "how am I going to tell Lilia. He had truly found the love of his life.
In summary, that�s how he pursued the 4 goals. You be the judge as to what he accomplished. I ask you, did not Eric in 33 years accomplish as much or more than many people accomplish me a life time? And if so is this something to morn? Or are not these achievements not worth celebrating?
Finally: PRAYER One recurrent comment from most of you: Eric is in our prayers. We greatly appreciated those prayers, and wish to encourage those who wish so, to pray for his spirit. To allow that, let us take a minute for silent prayers or thoughts.
The family of Eric Dudl wishes to express our sincerest gratitude for all your support.
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