Reed Milton Erickson

Reed Milton Erickson, our dearly loved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend, returned home to his Heavenly Father, and to be with his beloved sweetheart, Carlie, at the age of 84 on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 2017 in West Jordan, Utah.  It truly was a day of Thanksgiving and joy in knowing that he was wrapped in the arms of his precious Carlie again, and free from health problems that had plagued him for so many years.

Reed was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to Rufus Henry Erickson and Elva Isabelle Johnson Erickson on March 9, 1933, where he joined two older sisters, Joyce and Beverly.  He was followed by a baby sister, Linda, nine years later. They all grew up in Sandy Utah where Reed attended Jordan High School.  It was there that he met his sweetheart, Carlie, with whom he would later enjoy 62 years of love and companionship.  Reed often spoke of how much he loved his childhood and growing up in Sandy. They didn't have a lot, but they had each other, and they all enjoyed many great times over those years.  He told many stories about his various fun adventures, and also spoke of the many work opportunities that he would find in order to help his family financially make ends meet, and he helped them a lot in doing this. He learned early in his life the value of being a hard worker, and starting at a young age, he searched for every chance to earn money.  He was never afraid to work hard in any opportunity that he was given, and often used smart thinking and great ingenuity to create those occasions for himself.

Reed served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict, and he always took such great pride in having been able to serve his country in that way. He attended Westminster College where he studied hard to later become a Journeyman Machinist.   Reed married his sweetheart, Catherine Carlie Winn, on April 19, 1955, and they were sealed for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple one month later by Joseph Fielding Smith.  They raised their three beautiful children, Cathie, Chris, and Steve, in Midvale Utah and had 62 years of love and companionship together until Carlie's passing in July.  She was the love and light of his life, and he was so lost without her when she passed away.

Reed was a perfectionist in any job he took on, and especially when it came to his profession and in building their family cabin.  He was always a hard worker, and he knew the importance and great satisfaction that came from a job well-done.    He worked so hard over the years to make sure that he taught that to each of his children as well.  His working career included 25 years at Eimco, 17 years at Kennecott, and 1 year at Tooele Army Depot.  He was a great provider for his family, and he felt great satisfaction and happiness from being able to do that for them.  It truly was his greatest goal in life to make sure his family's needs were taken care of.

Reed absolutely loved a good deal, and he spent many hours wheeling and dealing to make that happen. He loved to buy and sell on the Tradeo Radio Show for many years.  It was often difficult to call in and get on the program while it was on the air, but Reed had it down to a fine art! He was almost always able to get on the show each week by perfecting just the right time to call, and waiting to dial that last number until just the right moment. He also loved to buy and sell things in the ads, and he loved the challenge of bargaining on just about everything, and found it to be a source of great fun, much to the exasperation of those he was bargaining with!  He would buy and sell cement mixers, garden tractors, cars, boats etc. and he was very successful at earning money doing that.

Reed built their family cabin in Woodland, Utah, working alongside Carlie and their children over many years to create a beautiful paradise for them.  He built it to last, and he spent long hours planning and perfecting things on the cabin in order to make it a well-built, safe, and beautiful haven for his family and their families to enjoy for many, many years to come.

Reed loved his family with all his heart and soul, and he loved spending time with them telling stories about his life, and singing songs with everyone.  He loved fishing, pheasant hunting, deer hunting, and greatly enjoyed the quality time he spent camping and visiting with family and friends on those outings together.  He and Carlie and their children enjoyed the many camping trips they took with his sisters and their families over the years, and the cruises and fun outings that he and Carlie went on with Carlie's brother, Douglas and his sister-in-law, Joanie, and he cherished the many memories that they made doing that.

Reed had a very generous heart, and he often loved to lend a helping hand in various ways when needed by neighbors and family.  He was a very determined person who did what it took to accomplish whatever he set his mind to, and he accomplished a lot in his life because of that drive to succeed and not to give up when things got tough.  He made the best of many challenging health problems, and didn't let it get in the way of fighting hard to overcome and move forward.  He taught us a lot about perseverance and determination, and about the value of hard work and tenacity in accomplishing your goals.  We will miss him every single day until that moment when we are able to embrace him again.

The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude and appreciation to the amazing, loving staff at Sunridge Assisted Living, and to Jessica Martinez and Michelle Burris and many others at Peak Specialty Group.  Thank you for your wonderful, compassionate care, your great patience, and your kindness.  In his time there, Reed was surrounded with friendship and love, and it meant the world to him and to his family.

Reed is survived by his children, Cathie Yost, Chris Morse (Tom), Steven (Cynthia) Erickson, 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Joanie Winn, 2 brothers-in-law, Donald Maynes and Harold McNee. Preceded in death by his wife Carlie, his parents, his sisters Joyce Moore, Beverly McNee, and Linda Maynes, and 2 brothers-in-law, Richard Moore, and Douglas Winn.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 29th, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the Midvale East 2nd Ward, 7250 South 300 East, where there will be a viewing that morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. preceding the service.  Interment will follow at the Sandy City Cemetery.