Instagram/@ericeremita
HGTV’s Eric Eremita and wife Joanne
Eric Eremita is the contractor best known for his appearances on the hit HGTV series Love It or List It. Viewers watched Eremita work closely with Hilary Farr to redesign and renovate homes over several seasons beginning in 2014.
Eremita decided to leave the show in 2019 in order to work on other projects closer to his home in Staten Island, New York. Love It or List It films in North Carolina and Emerita often had to spend days or weeks away from his family during production. But fans can still watch Eremita in frequent reruns on HGTV.
Since leaving Love It or List It, Eremita has created his own remodeling show called Home Boys. He also gets to spend more time with his wife, Joanne Eremita, and their three children.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Eremitas Have Been Married for 20 Years & Aren’t Shy About Expressing Their Affection
Joanne Ligotti Eremita is Italian-American, like her husband, and has family in Sicily. According to her LinkedIn profile, she is a stay-at-home mother. She described herself as the “domestic engineer” at “Eremita’s headquarters” on the page.
Eric and Joanne tied the knot on February 13, 2000. Based on their respective social media accounts, their relationship has been solid over the past 20 years. Neither appears to be shy about sharing their love for each other, either.
On their 20th anniversary, Joanne put together a collage of family pictures that she shared on TikTok and Instagram. The first photo was a sweet one from their wedding day, showcasing Eric dipping Joanne to kiss her on the boardwalk. She wrote in the caption: “Days like today makes me appreciate everything I have, but I couldn’t of done it without YOU!! Love you, our family that we have created & thank you for loving ME. Happy ❤️Anniversary to my love, my friend & My one & only Amore. 😘Love always, your forever Valentine.”
Eric also posted about their two decades together. He shared that the ceremony had taken place at the Holy Rosary Church and the reception at the Crystal Plaza, both located on Staten Island. Their honeymoon included a trip to Los Angeles. Eric said they have also traveled to Tahiti, Bora Bora and Australia together.
He gushed about Joanne in the lengthy post: “My life is absolutely amazing since the day I have met you! We have traveled the world, have so many GREAT memories and 3 AMAZING CHILDREN! The road ahead has an infinite amount of more memories for us to make! I can’t wait to see where it leads us! THANK YOU for our FAMILY, your LOVE, your SUPPORT & MOST OF ALL YOUR FRIENDSHIP! I don’t know where I would be without you!! You are an Amazing wife and an even more Amazing Mom! I LOVE YOU! Cheers to another hundred years! Love, Your one and only AMORE! Happy 20 Year Anniversary! Happy Valentines Day! XOXOXO! Eric.”
Eric and Joanne have three children together. Oldest daughter Mia graduated high school in 2020 and planned to attend Marymount Manhattan College in New York. Older son Eric Jr is 15 and Evan is 12.
Joanne Called 911 as Her Husband Struggled to Breathe & He Spent Two Weeks On a Ventilator
Joanne and Eric Eremita were among those who fell sick as New York was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Eric explained to People that he and Joanne quarantined on separate floors of their home after they began exhibiting symptoms in March. Their children stayed in the basement.
The HGTV star explained they couldn’t get access to a test to determine whether they had the coronavirus. While they waited, Eric’s condition worsened and Joanne decided to call for an ambulance. “One day my wife came to me and said, ‘You don’t look good. Can you breathe? You’re turning blue.’”
Eric told the magazine he doesn’t really remember what happened next. He ended up staying in the hospital for three weeks and spent two of those weeks on a ventilator.
Eric said he credited the power of prayer for his recovery. “They’re calling me their miracle,” he said about the doctors at Staten Island University Hospital. “No one else in the hospital that I was in that was on a ventilator walked out alive. I’ll be honest with you, it made me very, very humbled, and reminded me to appreciate life.”
Joanne Kept Family & Friends Updated About Eric’s Condition While He Was in the Hospital & Asked For Prayers
Joanne kept the prayers going as her husband was in the hospital. She shared on March 31 that Eric had been sedated with a ventilator to treat double pneumonia. She wrote in part, “It’s been very overwhelming for me, especially that I’m recovery myself. I can’t thank you enough for all your prayers but right now your prayers are more important than a phone call or a text.”
By April 14, Joanne shared that Eric had recovered enough to be taken off the ventilator but cautioned that his body was still very weak at the time. She was able to share further good news three days later: “#PraiseTheLord as many of you know… Eric is out of icu & in therapy, baby steps to success❤️on his way to recovery🙏🏼. He’s eating, slowly moving around, & can’t wait to come home. @ericeremita thanks everyone from the bottom of his heart ❤️ we couldn’t of done it without all of your prayers🙏🏼. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! You guys are our rainbow🌈 after our terrible storm.”
Eric has been undergoing physical therapy to rebuild his strength since the long hospital stay. He expressed his gratitude for his wife’s support in a touching Instagram message on July 12: “I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I’ve ever had, and no matter what happens in life, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I would not be alive today if it wasn’t for your prayers, determination, keen sense & especially YOUR LOVE!”
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