Eric Thomas Pfund, age 35 — artist, entrepreneur, world traveler, beloved husband, devoted father of two, and a beautiful soul — passed away on Friday, April 4, 2025

An engaging personality, he loved being around people, and his sunny demeanor made you think he didn't have a care in the world. From an early age, his outlook on life was grounded in a deep love for God, and his unshakable optimism and excitement for life's next adventure were some of the traits that made Eric the person we know and love. Eric saw the possibilities, while others saw obstacles.

He was a kind and gentle man with a ready smile and a keen and sometimes quirky sense of humor.  Eric welcomed everyone he met with an open heart and bore ill will toward no one. His acceptance and genuine kindness left lasting impressions wherever he went.

Eric was widely known and admired as a gifted artist.  From an early age, he exhibited a gift for sketching people and places and honed his skills at Carver Center for Arts and Technology, where he excelled in a specialized arts program.  He went on to earn a fine arts degree from UMBC and set out to build a career as a working artist. He also explored several other avenues to supplement his income, including working for his father and brother's firm Zerodraft Maryland.

Over time, he came to specialize in peoples' faces, which everyone agreed he was especially talented at, and his art business became known as "Priceless Portraits."  Though he secured numerous commissions and his work was widely appreciated, Eric came to identify closely with his hero Vincent Van Gogh because he too struggled with making a living with his art, struggled with epilepsy and many other challenges and hardships in life.

Eric was also known for his entrepreneurial spirit and creative drive. In Botswana he started his own taco business called "Ricos Tacos" a venture that brought him joy, meaning, and camaraderie with his small team. He became locally "famous" and was affectionately known as "the white guy who sold tacos".

On the night of March 29th, following complications from a severe epileptic seizure, Eric was deprived of oxygen for long enough to suffer what the neurologists described as  "catastrophic and irreversible brain damage". After several days of monitoring and testing, and despite the best efforts of his medical team, his breathing stopped, and Eric was declared clinically "brain dead".

In keeping with Eric's generous and loving nature, his family made the difficult decision to donate his organs so that others might live. The following day, after a touching "honor walk" at Lancaster General Hospital, his heart, liver, and kidneys were successfully transplanted offering four individuals a second chance at life.

Eric is survived by his wife of 11 years, Kefilwe (Kef), and their two children, Elisha (10) and Gabriel (6), who recently arrived in Baltimore from Botswana to be with family. They will remain here for about a month, drawing strength from the support of loved ones during this time of grief.

The family appreciates the outpouring of love and prayers, especially for Kef and the children as they navigate this challenging time of grief.

The family will receive friends at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center, P.A., 2325 York Road, Timonium, Maryland 21093 on Friday, April 11 from 4-7 PM. A Memorial Service will be held at Sovereign Grace Church, 11620 Crossroads Circle, Middle River, Maryland 21220 on Saturday, April 12 beginning at 2:30 PM. Interment will be private.

Please share condolences with Eric' s family by signing his guestbook.