"He had a hard time making the weight limit," said his father, Anthony Lill, of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. "He worked out so he could make the qualifications."

Eric Lill, 28, of Chicago, was killed Friday, by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Baghdad, Iraq, according to his family.

He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 212th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battle Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Carson.

A Chicago native, Eric Lill graduated from St. Lawrence High School in Burbank, Ill., in 1997 and went to Marshall University in Huntington, W.V. in 1998, where he played hockey. He was studying criminal justice at the time, as he wanted to get into law enforcement.

But he had a girlfriend in Illinois, so he transferred to College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., a year later, so he could be closer to her.

Soon after 9/11, he decided he wanted to join the military. He and a friend decided to enlist in October 2001, the same month Eric Lill married Skye Otero.

While his friend was accepted, Eric Lill was rejected because of his weight.

But he wouldn't take no for an answer, and after four months of working out, he was accepted in February 2002.

Anthony Lill said he didn't know what prompted his son to join the military, but it may have been because of his generous nature.

Eric Lill was transferred to Fort Carson in January 2006 and was deployed to Iraq in October.

Eric Lill would call or e-mail his parents at least once a week.

"He always said it was boring over there," his father said.

"He did that so we wouldn't worry about him."

The last time he talked to his father was June 30.

"He was doing OK," his father said. "He was actually in good spirits."

Despite being divorced in March, Eric Lill tried to stay in touch with his children, Cody, 6, and Mikayla, 4, who lived with their mother.

"He would call the kids once or twice every week," said Anthony Lill. "He was very close to them."

His family plans to bury him in Chicago.

Lill is also survived by his mother, Charmaine Lill, of Lawrenceburg, a sister, Kortney Lill, of Lawrenceburg, and his maternal grandparents, John and Marlene Alvarado, of Chicago.