Larry Blaine Erickson February 26, 2023

Larry Blaine Erickson left mortality at the age of 88 on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at home in Spanish Fork, Utah. Larry was the seventh child of George Henry Erickson and Myrtle Bone Erickson and was born and raised in Lehi, Utah.

Larry met his sweetheart Nadine Warner while working for her father at Press Publishing in Spanish Fork. He waited patiently for her while she served a two-year mission, courting and falling in love with her through letters. Seven weeks after her return from France, they were married in the Manti LDS temple. For the next sixty-two years they were side-by-side, partners in everything.

Together they raised five children, starting in Provo and later moving to their home in Spanish Fork. The Erickson home was one filled with joy and laughter.  Friends and relatives were always welcome, and the generosity and genuine concern for others was felt by all who spent time in their home. Larry was not much of a talker, but every person he interacted with felt seen and heard. He never responded in anger and was a patient, caring father. He was an example of faith, dedication, strength, and kindness.

Larry was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, serving for over forty years as either a ward or stake financial clerk or executive secretary. He fulfilled his callings with exactness and joy in the work. He served as a full-time missionary for two years in the Gulf States Mission, spending his entire time in the Texas panhandle.  Later in his life, Larry was a worker in the Provo and Payson temples.  Larry and Nadine spent hundreds of Wednesday afternoons serving in the temple.

Larry attended the University of Utah on a full scholarship and later transferred to Brigham Young University.  He was member of the Utah National Guard for many years.  Although he was never called to active duty, he enjoyed the time he spent serving his country in that capacity and made lasting friendships.

Larry was a constant learner and a voracious reader, and he influenced and transferred that love of reading to his children.  He had many hobbies over the years, and if he was interested in something, you could bet that he was doing everything he could to learn about it.  He was an early adopter of new technology, including a metal detector, “Heathkit” DIY electronics kits, a fancy doorbell, and the first countertop “Radarange” microwave oven.  He even made a telescope which the family enjoyed for years.  His passion for technology led him to be the first in the neighborhood to own a personal computer.  He enjoyed learning about it and found ways to help and serve others through its use.  He was a volunteer online proofreader, scanned family photos to CDs, and created custom calendars and lists for family, friends, and various organizations.

He loved working in his garden, which started out as some above-ground garden boxes and increased until it was the entire length of the back yard, yielding more produce than he could give away.  He was a “rock hound” and enjoyed finding rocks and minerals and then cutting, grinding, and polishing them into works of art.  At a point in his life when having a cane would be helpful in his own mobility, he made himself one out of a yucca stalk.  It was unique and beautiful as well as sturdy and functional.  He continued to make canes throughout the remainder of his life, giving them away to family and friends.

Larry’s future was forever changed when he accepted a two-hour-per-week job at age twelve.  With two friends, he folded, addressed, and mailed the weekly newspaper, the Lehi Free Press.  This job led to a daily after school job as “printer’s devil,” and by the end of the year, Larry was running the presses and setting type on the Linotype. Along with being the path that led him to Nadine, his career in the printing industry led him to many service opportunities.  When the Crandall Printing Museum opened in Provo, Larry volunteered on a regular basis, showing patrons how technology modernized printing.  With a smile on his face, Larry would expertly set lines of type, creating “slugs” from molten metal which he gave away as souvenirs.

Larry endured many medical issues in his life, including two life-threatening cancer diagnoses and severe skeletal problems, but he never allowed them to slow him down.  He lived his life to the end with kindness and tenderness toward others, never allowing the constant pain he lived with to sour his disposition.

The family would like to express sincere gratitude to the staff of iCare Hospice and Right At Home who took such good care of him in his final weeks of life.  Special thanks go to Kristy, JayCee, Abby, Olena, and Rachelle, who developed sweet relationships with him and brought a smile to his face each day. He was always happy to see them coming to the house, knowing that some first-rate back scratches were on the way as well as the much-needed medical care and support for the family.

Larry has gone ahead, leading the way for his family. He leaves behind his wife and sweetheart, Nadine, five children, Vicki (Charles) Sisson, Kyle (Mariam) Erickson, Michelle (James) Anderson, Ryan (Paige) Erickson, and Julene (Italo) Elgueta, as well as twenty-one grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.  He is preceded in death by his parents, George Henry Erickson and Myrtle Bone Erickson as well as siblings Marie, Thella, Keith, Floyd, Lela, and June.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Spanish Fork Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1006 East 180 South, Spanish Fork.  Viewings will be held prior to the funeral service from 9:30 am to 10:45 am and on Friday, March 3, 2023 at Walker Mortuary, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, 187 South Main Street, Spanish Fork.