By John Wallace
Eddie Acosta was many things to many people. He had several roles, duties and responsibilities.
He was a family man. Eddie was a loving husband and a caring father. When he spoke about his family his eyes sparkled and that included his entire family from his wife and children to his nieces and nephews continuing to his cousins and the rest of his extended family.
Marisa Dominguez, one of Eddie’s daughters, took some time to share the family’s thoughts by authoring the following paragraphs about her dad for TechNation magazine.
“Eddie and his wife Michelle met by chance on a Wednesday evening in 1983 at the NCO Club on Travis Air Force Base. For Eddie, this was his usual Wednesday night hang out spot where he could listen and dance to rock n’ roll music with his buddies,” she writes. “For Michelle, she wound up with no other plans and she decided to drop in to the NCO with her girlfriends. Serendipitously, the beginnings of a 35-year marriage blossomed. Michelle recalls her first impressions of Eddie was nothing short of the ‘life of the party.’ Michelle remembers his bright, positive personality seared across the dance floor.”
“Eddie was truly a one of a kind man, who was unwaveringly devoted to his wife, three children and 2 grandchildren,” Marisa adds. “Eddie consistently demonstrated a high level of integrity, both personally and professionally. He was a selfless, kind, charismatic man who made friends anywhere and everywhere he went. Eddie had an effortless way to connect to people and make them feel comfortable and cared for. His larger than life personality and infectious smile and laugh lit up any room he walked into.”
“Michelle is most fond and proud of the family memories and traditions they created over the 36 years together as a couple, which now continues with their two granddaughters. Eddie’s hope was for the Acosta traditions to transcend for generations and generations,” she shares. “The Acosta family intends to honor and uphold Eddie’s philosophies of family values. Eddie will be deeply missed by all his family and friends.”
“Eddie loved his family first and foremost. He was a dedicated father to all of his children (Mario, Marisa and Marina) and was a devoted husband to his wife, Michelle. Everything he did was for them and their future,” Colin Construction Company COO Kevin Cook says. “I encourage you to go to his FB Page to see the many posts from family, friends, and military brothers/sisters. He was loved, respected and will be missed.”
His colleagues and peers were also a part of Eddie’s family. His fellow members of the U.S. Armed Forces were also considered family. He was always quick to provide advice, lend a helping hand or deliver a word of encouragement at just the right time. Eddie shared countless stories with biomeds and while many were humorous, each one delivered a message of sage advice.
“Eddie is loyal. He treated every friend like they were his BFF,” Cook says.
MD Publishing President and Founder John Krieg recalls Eddie’s outgoing nature and the unwavering support he gave to those around him.
“They broke the mold with Eddie. What can you say about a man who would do literally anything for a friend or colleague, and always with a smile and spirit that would warm any room,” Krieg says. “We were fortunate enough to be friends, personally and professionally, he sat on our TechNation Editorial Board, spoke at our MD Expo conferences, collaborated on future articles and presentations.”
“One of my fondest memories was when we hosted the MD Expo in Napa in 2011, Eddie was instrumental in assisting with almost every aspect of the show, it was a phenomenal success,” Krieg adds. “He also shared some of this ‘homemade’ merlot, combined with laughter and good times, it’s a special memory I will always cherish.”
Command Chief Master Sergeant Charles “Chuck” Frizzell is the senior enlisted leader at the 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. It is the largest medical unit in the Air Force. In fact, it is responsible for Air Force Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) training (among other career fields), along with its U.S. Army and U.S. Navy counterparts, at the Medical Education and Training Campus located on Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Frizzell recalls the first time he met Eddie and the impact he has had on his life and those of so many others.
“Eddie and I attended Air Force Biomedical Equipment Technician (BMET) training together at Sheppard Air Force Base Texas starting in March 1992. We were part of a 12-member class; he was the ranking member and served as the class leader,” Frizzell says. “Eddie was positive, energetic and had a huge heart. He had both a smile and personality that would light up a room and an innate ability to make everyone feel special and important. He truly cared about those around him, both personally and professionally.”
Chief Master Sergeant Curtis Miller, Air Mobility Command Biomedical Functional Manager, recalls meeting Eddie when he was working as a civilian at Travis Air Force Base.
“He was as smart of a maintenance technician that you could find,” Miller recalls. “He was probably one of the smartest technicians I ever learned from.”
Cook first met Eddie in the Air Force and worked with him later in civilian life.
“Always happy, positive, and smiling,” is how Cook remembers Eddie. “Life of the party. If Eddie was there it was going to be a good time with plenty of laughs. Joke teller … he always had a good joke and when he would start out you would say. ‘Is this a joke’ and he would say, ‘true story … this happened to me.’ Of course, most of his jokes would leave us all laughing. Many people get set in a routine, but Eddie was always looking for a new adventure whether is was work or personal. He was not afraid to try a new path if he thought it was better. Eddie was literally liked by everyone.”
Eddie was bright as shown by the amount of knowledge he had to share, but what made him stand out was his ability to share that knowledge and empower those around him.
“His charisma, leadership, mentorship was amazing. People gravitated to him. He was an amazing person,” Miller adds. “He was absolutely a mentor. He taught me more about medical maintenance and he had a huge impact on my life. He was a testimony about how people who do not know how big of an impact they have had.”
“Eddie was an incredible influencer. He set the example by first mastering his craft, then challenging himself to push both the biomed community’s and his own boundaries,” Frizzell says. “He also challenged others, both civilian and military alike, to do the same. In addition, he built a strong connection between the military BMET and civilian biomed communities that continues to blossom. He was a forward thinker who understood the value of continuing education and growth, as both an individual and professional in the biomed community.
Eddie’s impact was not only seen in the men and women he interacted with, Miller explains, because his stories were so good that they would be shared over and over and over again.
“Stories he told me I shared with thousands. I just interrupted my shop last week to tell one of the stories he told me. They were something that you could hold onto and remember and they had lessons in them. They were humorous because Eddie was a funny guy, but they were lessons,” Miller says.
It is difficult to describe Eddie because there was so much good in him.
“Eddie was a role model and mentor for many. He knew how to keep things light and when it was time to focus on the task at hand,” Cook shares. “He was involved in professional organizations like California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA) and was elected as a board member for a period of time. Through this organization, he expanded his network and convinced many peers and mentees to join for their professional development. He also was a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) and again encouraged others to do the same to expand their knowledge and career potential. He received his master’s in business administration … he never stopped with his professional development. When he came to Colin CC to work with me on business development and marketing he had a vision for helping our company grow and remain on the cutting edge. He instilled positivity and inspiration.”
“I would describe him as an extremely talented technician, as a loving husband, loving father with an extreme amount of charisma who cared about every airman he came into contact with,” Miller shares. “As a young airman, what Eddie really showcased to me is that we aren’t just one thing. You are a father, a husband, a mentor. He was somebody who gave back to the community and always a life student.”
“He was a devoted family man with a zest for life. He lived every day to the fullest and, along the way, inspired countless others to live their best day every day. He was a hero to many, me included. He leaves a huge legacy in those who knew him, and will be truly missed,” Frizzell adds.
“Beyond anything, nothing else mattered unless you were a good person and if I had to describe Eddie in one way it is that he was a really good person,” Miller adds. “He was amazing.”
