Memorial
Lawrence “Larry” Arthur Erickson, 73, of Cedar Rapids passed away Friday, October 7, 2022 at Mercy Medical Center. A visitation will be held on Thursday evening, October 13, 2022, from 5:00 to 8:00 at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday evening, October 14, 2022, from 6:00 to 9:00 at Elmcrest Country Club.
Larry was born on December 19, 1948 in Duluth, Minnesota to parents Arthur and Ingretta (Johnson) Erickson. He graduated in 1966 from Denfeld High School in Duluth, Minnesota. Following high school, he enlisted in the United States Army and completed The Engineer Officer Candidate Course on April 4, 1969, qualifying him for a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Advisor. He received a Certificate of Appreciation For Service in the Armed Forces of the United States in recognition of his active service at the rank of Captain on February 10, 1972 where he served a tour in the Vietnam Conflict. Upon his return to the United States, he was stationed in Cedar Rapids as a recruiter for the U.S. Army. During this time, he received his Associate of Arts Degree from Kirkwood Community College in June of 1973. He then enrolled at Mount Mercy College and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting on May 17, 1975. Larry was Honorably Discharged from the U.S. Army on May 31, 1977.
After graduating from Mount Mercy College, Larry started as a procedure writer for Rockwell Collins, Inc. For over 20 years, he served as Vice President and Controller in both the government and commercial divisions of Collins. He was eventually named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. During his time as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, he helped take Rockwell Collins, Inc. public and rang the bell on the New York Stock Exchange. He retired from Collins on December 31, 2004. Larry also served on the Audit Committee and/or Board of Directors for Collins Community Credit Union and Winnebago Industries for many years. Larry received the Kirkwood Alumni and Friends Lifetime Achievement Award in April 2016.
Larry loved spending time with his family and friends. He was often the life of the party and loved to play “host,” always deep in conversation with his guests. Larry also enjoyed traveling; taking many cruises, tropical vacations and wintering in Arizona, as well as camping in the RV at Bobbers. One of Larry’s true passions was fishing which he passed down to his sons and grandchildren. He looked forward every year to his annual trip to Pine Beach Lodge on Eagle Lake in Ontario, Canada for the opening of walleye season. He also loved fishing in northern Minnesota and fishing for trout around Lake Delhi. Finally, Larry loved his Iowa Hawkeyes, and in his words, “Go Hawks!”
Larry is survived by his wife of 23 years Terri Jo Erickson of Cedar Rapids; sons Chad (Alisha) Erickson of Cedar Rapids and Thad (Cassie) Erickson of Norwalk, Iowa; step-daughters Angie (Cody) Berhow of West Des Moines, Iowa and Kristie (Nick) Hawkins of Omaha, Nebraska; grandchildren, Mallory, Gabby, and Willa Erickson; Hayden, Jaxson, and Rylan Erickson; Carter and Brady Shinn; Hailey Jo, Hudson, and Harvey Hawkins.
Larry was preceded in death by his parents and sisters (Nancy Carpenter and Patsy Walkowiak).
In lieu of flowers, his family would wish gifts to be left in tribute to Larry’s memory at the Alzheimer’s Association.