Edwin Erlbacher II

Edwin Alvin "Skip" Erlbacher II, 57, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, at his home in Dallas. He battled cancer 3 1/2 years with the same extraordinary strength, character and determination that he lived his life.

He always had a positive attitude and never a complaint, even through experimental drug trials and countless trips to MD Anderson.

Skip was born in Sikeston, Missouri, to Martha and Jerry Erlbacher.

At an early age, it was clear that Skip was a unique individual and placed a high value on family. At age 21, knowing only the name of the town, he set off to find his roots in Austria. This adventure led to a lifelong relationship with his Austrian relatives, including many summer vacations together.

In 1984, he married his college sweetheart, Susan Brandt, and together they began their life in Dallas.

Never quite finding the perfect house, they decided to design and build their own Southern-style home and start a family. They found land in trendy East Dallas and began work on the design. After two years of hard work, with Skip finishing almost the entire inside himself, their dream home was complete.

Skip received his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Memphis in 1982. He later went on to complete his master's and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1992.

As the basis of his Ph.D. dissertation, Skip designed a pneumatic active adjustable force control tool that he later patented.

This was the beginning of PushCorp Inc., a company he founded with Lester Godwin, Chris Hollas and Ben Hodge in March 1993. There he served as president and lead mechanical engineer in the design and development of all the company's products.

Throughout his career he continued with many new accomplishments, including another patent that is pending and the Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Defense.

He was always there for his family, from dance recitals to homemade SpongeBob costumes to minibikes in the backyard.

He was our rock and will be forever missed.

Survivors include his wife of 30 years, Susan; a daughter, Eva; a son, Eddie; parents, Jerry and Martha Erlbacher; a brother, Joe and wife Lorri; a nephew, Hans; and a niece, Ashley of Cape Girardeau.

Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 21 at Sparkman/Crane Funeral Home, 10501 Garland Road, Dallas.

There is no service at this time.

Special thanks to Dr. Eric Jonasch at MD Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210. Make sure to include it is in memory of Edwin Erlbacher.