Eric Steven Maculak

Eric Steven Maculak passed away at home on March 28, 2026 at the age of 69. The family is deeply saddened and shocked by his sudden death. Eric was born on May 27, 1956.

Eric worked at various jobs from newspaper carrier, dishwasher to gas station attendant, however, it was his job at Capitol Alarm being his startup in the security industry. He was part of the crew that worked on the security for Folsom State Prison and the USAA building in the downtown area of Sacramento. He worked for a time as a project manager for a security company in Fairfield, CA. Eric changed work direction after his first daughter was born and ended his career days at American River Flood Control District after 27 years of service. There he managed the district’s herbicide program and received several awards from the Association of California Water Agencies.

When Eric was young, his family lived in the Philippines for a few years. He had many fond memories of that time, the stories of frequenting the black market, going to the store for his father in a jeepney, (a kind of cab used there) and having 2 pet monkeys named Bonnie and Clyde. It was such an adventure for a young boy such as Eric. He enjoyed the sights, the people and the experiences. He knew how fortunate he was to have had such an adventure.

Upon returning to the United States Eric continued his elementary school education at Holy Cross School and his high school years were spent at Washington High School in Broderick, CA. At an early age, Eric showed an aptitude and natural curiosity for seeing how things worked. He was able to fix, build and fabricate just about anything. What he didn’t know he found on You Tube. He always came up with a solution to fix an issue. He was called upon to fix many things.

Eric’s hobbies included his jeep, which he built up himself in the driveway. Backroad excursions were enjoyed, as well as some rock crawling. He took pride in his jeep; he was absolutely proud of the work he put into it. He purchased a railroad speeder car, which is a small train car that was used for track maintenance in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. After a mentorship on the tracks and passing an in-depth test on the rules and regulations of the rails, Eric obtained his NARCOA membership. One of his favorite trips was running the Skunk Train route.

Eric retired in 2016 and enjoyed his family, home projects, antiquing, and of course his free time. He was so very proud of his two daughters, family was important to Eric. There were many grand memories of camping, beach days, various vacations, many lunch outings, graduations and milestones crossed. All with good memories. Eric loved his two dogs, they miss him, we miss him. We miss him very much, he was such a presence in our lives, rock solid, always there for us.

Eric is survived and so very missed by his wife Karen of 38 years. However, they were together for a total of 52 years. He will be deeply missed by his children, Rachel Dyane Kummer and Sarah Ann Maculak. The loss is devastating; beyond words, such a deep emptiness has been left in our lives.

Eric is the son of Edward Thomas Maculak (deceased 1991) and Patricia Maculak; brother of Michelle Denise Hopkins (husband Charles Conklin) and Marie Christine Brewster (husband Mark Brewster) who loved him very much; and miss him. He also leaves behind nieces Katherine Marie Hopkins, Elizabeth Anne Hopkins, and a great nephew Michael McDonnell, a close cousin Linda Carralejo as well as numerous cousins from Southern California.

There are many things that we will remember Eric for but his mischievous sense of humor and at times crazy pranks could be put at the top of the list. His responses to situations were quick witted and spontaneous. He loved a good joke, especially if it was a bit off of the norm. He could have done stand-up comedy easily and been good at it. He made us laugh.

We will honor his life at East Lawn Mortuary & Sierra Memorial Park, 5757 Greenback Lane, Sacramento on May 4th, 2026 at 11:00 AM.