Harry Edward Erickson, 88, of Hinsdale, formerly of Crete, died May 9, 2024.
He graduated from Bloom High School in 1953, and attended Milliken University, where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Harry worked for General Electric in Hobart, Ind., and was a private accountant on the weekends. He later worked as a marketing manager for Middleby Toastmaster and took classes at Northwestern University at night. In his later years, he was a consultant who modernized police equipment for Federal Signal.
He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother. He was known for his love of Jesus Christ and his family. His children and his grandchildren were his treasures. He loved playing games, riding bikes or reading to them. He dedicated his time to writing an email sermon every week without fail for almost eight years to encourage his family to keep their faith in God. His legacy is a published book of these sermons called "Turning Right with GPS, God's Perfect Solution." He was instrumental in developing and implementing spiritual growth plans for his church, Trinity Lutheran, where he was a member for over 65 years.
He adored his wife, Marlene, and enjoyed their life together. His favorite pastime was golf, but he also enjoyed bowling and swimming. He enjoyed traveling to many countries in Europe and many states in the US, and loved Hawaii. He was an avid reader, whose favorite book was the Bible. He also enjoyed reading Joel Rosenberg and mystery novels. He was a skilled handyman and was a hard worker all his life.
Harry was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Marlene, nee Peterson.
He is survived by his children, Cathy (Bill) Merchantz; and Richard Erickson; his grandchildren, Christopher and Victoria Merchantz and Ben and John Erickson; his siblings, Donald (Kathleen) Erickson and Sandra Michaels; and his nephew, Jason.
Visitation is from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, May 17, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1393 Elizabeth St., Crete. A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m., with a luncheon afterward.
Interment will be at Trinity Lutheran Cemetery in Crete.
Memorial donations may be made online to Trinity Lutheran Church at http://www.trinitycrete.org. Crete Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
