The service will be held at First Covenant Church, 400 E. Pike St. in Seattle. Visitation will be observed Friday from 10 a.m. until noon at Purdy & Walters at Floral Hills Cemetery, 409 Filbert Road, in Lynnwood.
Erickson was born in a rural farmhouse on his grandfather’s farm near Greeley, Colorado, on July 13, 1918. His parents, Gus and Thyra Erickson, were both Swedish immigrants and had three children – Roy, an older brother, Virgil, and a younger sister, Winifred. At age three, Roy’s mother died from the flu and complications of pneumonia and the children were separated – Virgil moving to California with an aunt, Winifred adopted by family friends and Roy moving to live with grandparents in Greeley.
After many years in Greeley, including two years of college at the University of Northern Colorado, Roy moved to Los Angeles to pursue a job and it was there that he made a commitment to Christian ministry. He later enrolled at North Park College & Theological Seminary in Chicago, completing his studies there in 1944, with ordination in 1946 by the Evangelical Covenant Church. He married Ruth Cheramy of Greeley, Colorado, in 1943 and the couple had five children: Eugene, Craig, Mark, Joyce and Bruce.
During his 50-year career in ministry, Roy served as pastor of Covenant churches in Rockford, Illinois; Topeka, Kansas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; Seattle, Washington; Livingston, New Jersey; and Turlock, California. Roy also served six interim pastorates following his retirement. In 2001, Roy and Ruth moved to Seattle to be closer to family members, living at Covenant Shores retirement community in Mercer Island, Washington.
Erickson succumbed to pneumonia that set in shortly after he underwent hip replacement surgery. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, his five children, nine grandchildren (Kristin, Karla, Tom, Peter, Amy, Michelena, Nathan, Chris and Kevin), and one great-grandchild, Ryan. He was preceded in death by his brother, Virgil; his sister, Winifred; and his granddaughter, Gabriella. Roy was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and pastor. His warmth, caring spirit and sense of humor will be missed by all who knew him.
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