John R. Erickson Sr.

John R. Erickson Sr., age 80, of Crystal Falls, MI, passed away August 14, 2014 at Portage, WI. He was born January 8, 1934 in Sidnaw, MI, the son of the late John A. and Aileen (Hendrickson) Erickson. He attended the Stambaugh Schools, graduating from Stambaugh High School with the Class of 1952. He attended Michigan Technological University, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Engineering in 1956, and Masters Degree in Business in 1968. John married the former Marion Stefani on December 31, 1955 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church of Caspian. He was employed by the U.S. Forest Service for over 35 years. He retired as Director of the Forest Products Lab in Madison, WI. His life revolved around his family, and he loved fishing, hunting, gardening, and woodworking. John is survived by his wife, Marion; children, Kim (Ken) Maki of Houghton, MI, John (Nancy) Erickson of Ashburn, VA, Beth Erickson Gary Ziegler) of McFarland, WI, and Jim (Kim) Erickson of Phoenix, MD; grandchildren, Jessica, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Elise, Amanda, Robert, Danya, Danny, Samantha, Tyler, and Madison; eight great grandchildren; sister, Ruth Thibodeau of Crystal Falls; numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Ernest Erickson. Visitation will be held Sunday, August 17, 2014 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Jacobs Funeral Home of Iron River. The family suggests memorial donations to MTU Athletic Department General Scholarship Account, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John R. Erickson Sr., please visit our flower store.