Susan Wanda Erickson

Susan (Sue) Wanda Erickson, age 86, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2024 surrounded by her loving family. Born June 7, 1938 in Minneapolis, MN to Eileen Anderson and Walter Meier, Sue’s life was a testament to her kindness, unending generosity, and strength of spirit.

A graduate of Richfield High School (Richfield, MN) in 1956, Sue served as the school’s sports editor and took center stage in lead roles of "I Remember Mama" and "Our Town." Her academic pursuits continued at Hamline University, where she earned her diploma in 1960 from the School of Nursing. This began a remarkable 46-year career as a nurse and nurse educator, where she inspired countless students at the College of the Mainland (Texas City, TX), the University of Texas Medical Branch (Galveston, TX) and Everett Community College (Everett, WA).

In 1963, Sue agreed to a fateful blind date where she met a young seminary student named Gerald (Jerry) W. Erickson (1938-1998). Although their first date was spent riding a tandem bike where, according to Sue, ‘Jerry steered and I pedaled’, they were married six months later. Together, they embarked on a journey of faith serving congregations at St. John's Lutheran (Howard Lake, MN), Chatfield Lutheran (Chatfield, MN), Alvin Lutheran (Alvin, TX), and Light of the Cross Lutheran Church (Bothell, WA). Sue’s life also focused on family with their union blessed by two daughters, Anne Marie and Janet Lynn.

Beyond her dedication to faith and family, Sue was highly active throughout her life, from spending childhood summers swimming with her dear brother Tom (1939-2018) at Silver Lake to sailing across lakes, bays, gulfs and, unintentionally, international boundaries with Jerry. When on land, Sue cared for a multitude of healthy, thriving plants and walked countless miles with her faithful labradoodle Cosmos.

She is survived by her loving daughters, Anne Marie and Janet Lynn, her ‘sons-in-love’ Darin Green and Mike Adams, her adoring grandchildren Alex and Samantha Green and a lifetime of cherished memories. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of life for Susan Erickson will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 10th, at Advent Lutheran Church (4306 132nd Street SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012).