Richard Erickson

Richard Erickson of Bassano passed unexpectedly on June 12 in Brooks. He was 90 years young. Richard was born in Juneau Alaska, to Swedish parents John and Esther, on March 5 1934. Richard was the eldest of four; his younger sister Britta and brothers Sven and Milton all predeceased him.

As Richard approached his first birthday his parents took him on the first of several trips between the USA and Sweden. His birthday was celebrated on the vessel with passengers and staff chiming in to wish the young boy a Happy Birthday. The family settled in Ilsbo Sweden where they resided for several years before returning to the USA and setting up house in Snoqualmie, Washington State. As a result of his birthplace Richard possessed dual citizenship and as a young man he returned to Sweden, where he would meet his future wife Eivor Annlis (Ann) Bergh. The young couple married and set up home in Hudiksvall where they welcomed their first born; a daughter, Nancy Irene in 1954.

Three years later the young family boarded a ship to Canada and made Calgary Alberta their home. Here they welcomed two additional daughters; Anita Cathleen in 1959 and in 1962, Ivy Christine. Richard had renounced his dual citizenship and he and his wife Ann were Canadian citizens.

Richard was a machinist by trade and he derived great satisfaction from his occupation as he enjoyed working with his hands. He could always fix whatever needed repair, himself. From the most delicate little girl’s necklace to the washing machine, Richard fixed whatever it was; as the girls often said, “Dad can fix it, he can fix anything”. Indeed, the Ericksons never had to call for a repairman.

Richard had a wide and varied array of interests and hobbies, far too numerable to list. He was a creator, a maker, a do-er and he always had a project or three on the go.

Richard built model airplanes and would fly them via remote control while his young daughters looked on in awe. He loved to spark interest in his children and he was an excellent teacher. He loved to pass on his knowledge and nurture the skills of whoever wanted to learn. As a ham radio operator Richard fostered friendships world wide, long before the arrival of the internet. His daughters were impressed by all the pins in the world map on the wall above his desk.

In 1970 the family moved to Sweden; Hudiksvall, where Richard helped his youngest brother to open a machine shop. This trip was a true gift to his children who met many relatives for the first time and enriched their lives in the way that only being immersed in a new culture can; they learned to Speak Swedish, saw the Northern Lights and made many friends. Their father worked hard and before 2 years had passed the Machine shop was up and running and the family returned to Canada, in Calgary where they remained until 1990 when Richard and Ann moved to Bassano where Richard would retire from machining and focus solely on his interests and hobbies.

Richard was a talented artist, painting landscapes in oil. He painted innumerable canvases and several of these paintings hang on the walls in the homes of family and close friends. Some paintings were sold but Richard painted not for profit but for the pure joy of it. Richard also created from wood. He made kitchen/dining sets, patio furniture and more recently he made beautiful kitchen cutting boards using various different woods with a variety of hues that when expertly placed created a block pattern that took on a 3-D effect. Richard created several patterns, all beautiful examples of craftsmanship. He appreciated a task well done and possessed great patience focus; stamina and determination.

Most recently Richard found great joy working with model kits that use an engineered wood to create various vehicles, from vintage cars to semi-trucks, and even trains. In recent months Richard has made dozens of these vehicles. He took such great pleasure in creating these model kits that he began referring to his workspace as “the factory” where he worked eagerly and faithfully each evening. Taking a break occasionally from “the factory” Richard would turn his attention to another new hobby, origami. He chose a flower as his first project. Never before has a paper flower ever been more treasured. Richard never knew an idle moment. He was always making, creating, and doing. This is where he found his joy. He always had a project. His mind was as sharp at 90 as it was at 19.

His calm demeanor and wisdom made him the voice of reason in any situation. A highly intelligent, multitalented man he will be deeply missed by his daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as his friends and staff at Playfair Lodge and long-time family friend Allan Tobler.

Richard will never be forgotten. He will live on in our hearts forever.

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