Rasmus Anfin Erdal

Rasmus Anfin Erdal, 91, died peacefully in his sleep on June 28, 2023, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. While he lost the battle, he looked forward to "getting the last laugh" on his cancer with his cremation. His spirit never dimmed.

Rasmus was born in Waukegan, Illinois to Norwegian immigrant parents and one older sister, Clara. They moved to Brooklyn when he was 5. Active in the Boy Scouts, Rasmus attended Brooklyn Technical High School, a very competitive science and technology high school, and concentrated on math and electrical systems while also being an all-around athlete. Rasmus attended City College of New York (CCNY) and took ROTC while majoring in Industrial Arts education. He also played football for their powerhouse football team, for one day, before CCNY cancelled all athletics over a sport betting scandal. Fulfilling his ROTC duties, Rasmus was stationed "overseas" in Alaska (Alaska was not yet a state), and was part of a ski battalion, training at "Arctic Indoctrination School" during the cold war (pun intended).

When he left the Army, Rasmus began teaching Industrial Arts at Flushing High School in Queens, where he taught for 35 years. He was both "Industrially" trained as an auto technician and woodworker and draftsman, and "Artistically" trained in painting (rosemaling), needlework (hardanger), and drawing. There is nothing he couldn't translate from his imagination to reality.

Rasmus met Marian, a fellow first-year teacher, in 1957, at a friend's wedding. They were married the next year, and for the next 64 years. Their love and compatibility were legendary. Their two daughters were raised to appreciate nature and camping and academics and competitive athletics. When the nest was empty, they left NY and moved to Colorado and filled their days with volunteering for Poudre Wilderness, Habitat for Humanity, World Hunger relief, and Sons of Norway, and filled their lives with elderhostels and Colorado State University events and hiking 14-ers and camping and granchildren and being a torch runner for the Salt Lake City Olympics at the age of 70. They were exhausting just to watch, and Rasmus' exuberance and positivity was unparallelled (as was, in contrast, his viciousness in Scrabble). A lifelong learner, he read the newspaper and did the crosswords with Marian daily, and when watching TV, chose the science channels (and some football).

Rasmus' legacy includes 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren, and 3 great-grand-children who also represent math majors, educators, athletes, and nature-lovers. His legacy includes hundreds of friends across the country, beloved relatives in Norway, and thousands of people who have benefitted from his volunteerism and generosity. He literally whistled while he worked, as his work and service was his joy. He will be missed terribly by all those who knew him, and everyone else may just notice a slightly dimmer world for a while. If you can fit the word "quiz" in a triple word slot in Scrabble, you may feel Rasmus' presence.

A Celebration of Life is to be held on Monday, July 3 at 2pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland, CO.

Should you wish to make a donation in Ras' memory:
Poudre Wilderness Volunteers: https://www.pwv.org/donate
Or checks can be sent to: PWV
2519 S. Shields St.
Ste 1K #202
Fort Collins, CO 80526

Sons of Norway, Steinfjell lodge plans to have a link available on steinfjell.com very soon.
Trinity Lutheran Church: https://trinityloveland.org/

Or checks can be sent to: Trinity Lutheran Church
3333 Duffield Avenue
Loveland, CO 80538