Eric Norland, 67, passed away at his home in Bridgewater on Thursday May 19, 2016 after a 10 year battle with prostate cancer. Eric was born in New Brunswick, NJ on Oct. 10, 1948 and was the son of the late Robert and Evelyn (Dunn) Norland, and brother to Robert Jr., Richard, Timothy, and David. He grew up in Cranbury as the middle of five brothers. He attended college in Chicago where he met his first wife Cheryl Maclachlan. He graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in chemical engineering in 1971. A year later he returned to New Brunswick to start work at the family business, Norland Products, which was owned and founded by his father. Eric lived in his childhood town of Cranbury and raised two sons. He and his wife divorced in 2000 and he moved to Princeton. A year later he met his future wife, Laura, in Bridgewater (they married 10/08/15 in Hawaii). They bonded over their common interest in nature, gardening and shared their love of these outdoor activities in Bridgewater on her family’s acreage for 14 years. Eric was very passionate and committed to his work and helped Norland Products become a successful company. He continued to work for Norland Products for 44 years, developing several patents and becoming the president. He enjoyed many hobbies including gardening, hiking, traveling, camping, fishing, woodworking, beekeeping and spending time with his family and friends, who will miss him dearly.
He is survived by his beloved wife Laura, his brother Richard and wife Nancy of Pinehurst NC, brother Timothy and wife Betsey of Lambertville, NJ, his first wife Cheryl of Sarasota, FL. and their son Ned and wife Mary of Lexington, VA and son Martin and wife Shannon of Raleigh, NC. He is also survived by three grandchildren: Valerie, Benjamin, and Emmett.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 18th at 10am at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, 22 South Main Street, Cranbury, NJ 08512. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Eric Norland’s memory to Rutgers Cancer Institute ( http://www.cinj.org/giving ) or Caris Foundation (http://www.carislifesciences.com/ ).
