Falling tree kills Pokémon designer and Detroit native Eric Medalle
A prominent designer for Pokémon International, who was also a lifelong Detroiter at heart, died this month in Seattle when a large tree fell and struck his SUV.
Friends and family are mourning the loss of Eric Medalle, 42, a creative director for the company who moved to Seattle to do what he loved, but remained loyal to the city where he spent his earliest years.
Medalle was killed March thirteen while driving his 1-year-old daughter through a park on a day with high winds, according to KING five News, a Seattle-based TV station.
As he drove down a wooded road, a giant Douglas fir fell onto the car, King five News reported. Medalle was killed on influence. His daughter was unhurt, said longtime friend Clare Pfeiffer. King five News reported that his daughter had been in the backseat.
Medalle “always found ways to … make you feel very loved and special,” Pfeiffer said. “That was core to who he was.”
Medalle grew up on Detroit’s east side and went to Our Lady Queen of Peace elementary school in Harper Forest, which has since closed. He graduated from De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, where even then, his friends recognized his artistic talent by asking him to design logos for their jackets, Pfeiffer said.
While growing up, he was drawn to pop art with bold colors, from artists such as Andy Warhol and M.C. Escher, and loved visiting the Detroit Institute of Arts. He studied art and design at the University of Michigan, and did graphic design work for several years before going to work for Pokémon International in Seattle in late 2003.
In his career with the company, Medalle contributed artwork and logos to various projects that were seen by millions of people, said former colleague Rob Novickas. He began at the company as a freelance graphic designer but became a creative design director by the time of his death, Novickas added.
“He had a indeed successful career doing what he loved, which is indeed remarkable,” Pfeiffer said. She added: “His parents might have liked him to do something more practical, but they’re indeed glad he did what he wished and followed his wish.”
Medalle wasn’t just well-known among his friends for his artwork. He often professed his love for Detroit to co-workers.
“Eric couldn’t have been any prouder to come from Detroit,” Novickas said. “Even however he was Two,000 miles away from the city, Detroit and its people and its sports teams were always very close to his heart.”
Medalle is survived by his wifey, Carrie Stradley, and two daughters: Nico, 1, and Isa, 6. He is also survived by two sisters and his mother, Amelia.
A crowd-funding webpage has been set up to raise money for his family.