MADERA - Former Madera County Judge Eric Wyatt passed away Saturday at the age of 45 after a three year battle with brain cancer. Judge Wyatt was born in Visalia and raised in Salinas with his younger brother Keith. He graduated from Salinas High School and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis.

He earned his law degree from Santa Clara University and began his law practice in the early 1990’s with the firm of Mortimer and Oakley. He would later become a partner in that firm before leaving to begin his career with the Madera County District Attorney’s Office.

Wyatt would be assigned to work with the Madera Area Drug and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MADNET) where, with Commander John Gaines, the two would seek to take down Methamphetamine cook sites all over Madera County. For his work Wyatt would be honored by the California Department of Justice with the Drug Prosecutor of the Year award.

Before being appointed to his judgeship by then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wyatt was promoted to assistant district attorney. Wyatt took the bench at age 38. He served eleven years before stepping down a year ago for medical reasons.

Eric served as a parent coach to his boy’s baseball teams and could often be seen behind the centerfield fence cheering his boys on during the regular season and through All Stars.

The Honorable Eric C. Wyatt is survived by his wife of sixteen years Kristina Wyatt, his sons Zachary and Ryan, his parents Richard and Martha Wyatt, and his brother Keith Wyatt.

A private funeral service will be held be Jay Chapel. The family says that those who are invited have already been notified. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Stanford Medical Center of glioblastoma research.