Robert B. Erickson

Robert "Bob" Byron Erickson, whose career with the United States Forest Service spanned three decades and whose boundless enthusiasm enlivened everything from football fields to family road trips, died peacefully on Sept. 10 in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was 87.

Bob was born on Dec. 20, 1937, in Rocky Ford, CO, to Mildred Vera and Roye Fred Erickson. He grew up in Fort Collins, graduating from Fort Collins High School in 1955 and earning a bachelor's degree in business administration from Colorado State University in 1960. A charismatic center for CSU's football team from 1957 to 1959, he remained a proud Ram for life, often donning his well-worn CSU cap.
Bob went on to serve in the U.S. Army as a military police officer in Honolulu, HI, earning expert and sharpshooter badges before receiving an honorable discharge in 1966.

He then embarked on a distinguished career with the Forest Service, guiding business operations and administration in posts across the country. With his wife, Barbara Ann Reid Erickson, he raised their three children, Reid, Ann, and Brant, in Tempe, AZ, Washington, D.C., Springfield, PA, and Stone Mountain, GA, fostering in them the same spirit of curiosity and adventure that shaped his own life.

Each summer, Bob planned elaborate three-week journeys, often steering the family station wagon (and occasionally the cats) back to Colorado to visit family, fish the streams of Rocky Mountain National Park, and swap stories with lifelong friends. Other excursions took them to Niagara Falls, Maine, Mackinac Island, Disney World, and amusement parks far and wide, though Bob cheerfully abstained from roller coasters, unlike his wife Barbara.

After retiring, the Ericksons returned to Fort Collins, where they reveled in hikes through the Rockies, rounds of golf, gatherings at Swedish Club, walks through their favorite Fossil Creek Park, and fulfilling trips to Sweden to visit distant relatives. Bob also rediscovered his love of music, playing trombone for the Northern Colorado New Horizons swing band, delighting local churches and schools with the golden era of big band jazz. Friends remember him as witty, loyal, always a gentleman, with a boisterous charm and an eye for detail.

Bob is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; their daughter, Ann Cobb (Jeff); five grandchildren: Mac Erickson, Jack and Wyatt Cobb, and Annora and Finley Erickson; his big kitties, Tabby and Toeby; and many friends who cherished his warmth and humor. He was predeceased by his brother Rodney, and his beloved sons, Reid Alan and Brant David Erickson.

A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating a tree in Bob's honor, at https://www.treesforachange.com/pages/Robert-b-erickson .