Elizabeth Jean Erskine

Elizabeth Jean Erskine, beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away unexpectedly and far too young on June 29 from natural causes. She is survived by her husband, Tom Halicki, her mother, Ann Erskine, and siblings Ed Erskine, Tricia Kara, Maggie Nesgos, Eileen Patete, and Charles Erskine. She will be missed terribly.

Elizabeth was a truly remarkable person. She was a strong and steady presence in the lives of those who knew her—the person who was always ready to lend a hand, to give wise advice, or to go on any kind of adventure. Absolutely nothing Elizabeth did was careless; she thoroughly explored every option before making a decision or stating an opinion. You didn’t ask Elizabeth a question lightly, because you knew that any response would be one that she would take the time to research—and yet, you didn’t want to ask anyone but Elizabeth for advice for exactly these reasons. She was a voracious reader and had a deep intellectual interest in a wide range of topics. She had—and shared—a naturalist’s knowledge about living things, especially birds and plants, which she delighted in watching and growing. You might be as likely to find her reading Proust as pulling weeds out of her garden with tweezers.

Elizabeth was born in Queens, NY, into a large clan of brothers and sisters. In 1967, the family settled in Ridgefield, CT. Elizabeth and her siblings spent most days in nature. Even as a young child, she especially enjoyed spending her time reading. In recent years, she relished exploring Western and Southwestern landscapes during visits with her sister and nieces.

Elizabeth graduated from M.I.T. in 1987 with a degree in Economics. During her college years, she combined her intellectual curiosity with a love of athletics, rowing stroke with a club crew team and winning a silver medal at Nationals. In 1989, she moved to Washington, D.C., to begin her career as an editor, working at Smithsonian magazine, where she was both Assistant Editor and Editor of the Letters section. She developed a passion for running during these years, exploring D.C. and the surrounding area during lunch runs with friends. In 2003, she and her husband Tom moved to Boulder, CO.

During her years in Colorado, Elizabeth worked as a freelance copy editor at Alpinist magazine, as well as a freelance editor and content architect for numerous large technology companies, such as Microsoft and HP. She brought the same detail-oriented precision and diligence that characterized her approach to life to her work, quickly making herself an irreplaceable member of many teams.

Elizabeth pursued her passion for the outdoors with a vengeance. She came to Colorado as a climber, after spending years climbing extensively throughout the U.S. and also in Chamonix, France with Tom. She quickly added other interests, especially biking, hiking, and skiing. Over the years, she climbed numerous routes and mountains and biked and hiked thousands of miles, creating memories that many cherish. She had recently taken up fly fishing and could often be found exploring streamside with Tom.

But Elizabeth’s greatest interest was gardening. Many of the rare and special plants in her garden were raised from seed and carefully tended over a period of years. A budding flower became a cause for celebration. A Master gardener, Elizabeth was always generous with her encyclopedic knowledge of plants, always ready to give advice on what, how, and when to plant to her garden-challenged friends. She was also generous with the fruits of her garden, sharing plants, flowers, and countless vegetables with friends and neighbors.

A private memorial service will be held at a future date. Donations may be made to the Humane Society of the United States.