Roy Erickson

Roy Victor Erickson was born in Seattle, WA on June 21, 1941. He was the oldest of two sons to Delos and Leona (DeWinter) Erickson. He lived with Parkinson's disease for twenty one years with great dignity and acceptance. After graduating from Edmonds Washington High School with honors, Roy attended Whitman College on a full scholarship as a Sloan Scholar. There he majored in math and physics and met Alice Hoagland who later (1964) became his spouse. A quest for further education took him to the University of Michigan and a PhD. in Probability. He then came to M.S.U. where he taught statistics for 40 years. He especially enjoyed the connections he made with students during those years. Roy's love of music began early and he enjoyed playing saxophone in several local big band jazz bands, mostly for fun, and sometimes, for a little pay. He played clarinet once in a while and taught himself flute and piano. He loved new challenges. He was a seeker. When he and Alice went for bike rides in the hills near their college, Roy always wanted to ride higher while Alice wanted to enjoy the view. When he rode bikes with a group, he took off on his own to explore further. When he and Alice hiked with their sons, Alice told the boys, "We have to keep up - I don't know how to get out of here" as Roy took detours from the trail. Roy ran, swam, and rode his bike for pure enjoyment. He participated in several DALMAC rides. When he could no longer run, he walked. When he could no longer ride his bike, he rode a trike. Although Alice asked him to stay on the trails, that was not what Roy did. In recent years Alice had to rescue him more than once. Roy is survived by his wife, Alice Hoagland Erickson; three sons, Jed (Meredith), Corey (Virginia Lopez), and Ross Erickson; four grandchildren; and two great grand children. He is also survived by his brother, Jim (Jan) Erickson; sister-in-law, Anna (John McDill) Hoagland; brother-in-law, Evan (Judy Ciasto) Hoagland; and five nephews. He had many friends who cheered him on his way, and for that the family is grateful! Special thanks go to the caring staffs at The Ridge at Lansing and Hospice of Lansing. Memorial contributions may be made to the Roy and Alice Erickson scholarship fund at the Lansing Community College Foundation or to Hospice of Lansing. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing, on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at 1:00 P.M. Cremation arrangements were entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids, 616-452-3006. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Roy Erickson, please visit our flower store.