Eric S. Bender
Eric S. Bender, a longtime resident of Yorktown and later Mahopac, passed away unexpectedly on May 5. He was 28 and had struggled with substance abuse for many years.
Eric was born on Apr. 9, 1992, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the son of Dean Bender and Jenny Stasikewich of Mahopac.
He attended Yorktown schools and was an accomplished guitarist and artist, yet his true love was working with dogs as a trainer and kennel worker. For many years he worked at the SPCA in Briarcliff Manor and later D.O.G. in Putnam Valley.
Bender will be remembered as a gentle and caring young man who loved animals. He was exceptionally compassionate, always helping the less fortunate and homeless. He was profoundly empathetic, sticking up for people who were hurting or being bullied. He was a very quiet person, but when he did speak, people listened because what he had to say was relevant and heartfelt. At the time of his death, Eric was embracing the teachings of Buddha.
He is survived by his parents, Dean and Jenny, and his brother, Scott, of Peekskill.
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