Harold Laurence Erickson

Harold Erickson, cherished husband, father, and grandfather passed away on Sunday, November 20, 2022.  He would have been 83 in just one month.

Harold was born in Bessemer, Michigan, on Sunday, December 24, 1939, the fourth of seven sons, born to Walter and Viola (Jacobson) Erickson. He graduated from Bessemer High School in 1958 and began the hard work of logging and roofing. He married his high school sweetheart, Joyce (Erickson, no prior relation), on Saturday, April 11, 1959, and they would ultimately share a married life together for 63 years.

In 1959, Harold and Joyce loaded up a Chevy coupe and a small tow trailer with every possession they owned as well as some of his brother’s possessions and left the upper peninsula of Michigan for the opportunities offered by a growing Albuquerque. Upon arriving here, Harold found work as a carpenter, and not long after, Joyce attended pharmacy school at UNM. Their new life in New Mexico began to take off.

Harold and his brother Donald formed Erickson Construction in 1962. Together, they built hotels, motels, office buildings, single family homes, and apartment complexes across New Mexico, lower Michigan, and much of the Southwest for various owners. They were famous in the construction community for their ability to build the entire frame of a single-family home in a single day. Their success in construction ultimately led them to begin building apartment complexes of their own in the 1970s. They operated and managed several of those properties in Albuquerque for decades.

Harold loved and supported his Lobos for over 57 years, and only rarely did he miss a game. His love for the game of basketball extended beyond the Lobos, as he attended many NCAA playoffs and Final Fours.  He was also an avid horseman, owning and breeding many racehorses that competed across the country.  He enjoyed a good, heated conversation about politics and loved spending many mornings with close friends at the local truck stop for coffee. He was not adverse to giving those friends a good ribbing. He was a man of the outdoors and enjoyed fishing and camping. He loved to travel and did so all over the world and best enjoyed trips which he and Joyce shared with their grandchildren.

He was known for his generosity and practicality. He once caught some burglars, one late night, who had broken into the day care center which he and Donald owned. Among other things, they were stealing food.  Harold grabbed a box, packed them some food and sent them on their way. Asked why he would do such a thing – give food to people who were robbing him – he replied simply, “Because they were hungry.”

Harold was preceded in death by his parents; his six brothers, Raymond (in infancy), David, twins Raymond and Roy, Bryon, and Donald; and a grandson, Adam Jaeger. He is survived by his wife, Joyce; son, Dale (Kim); daughters, Christine (Todd) Jaeger and Denise; grandchildren, Ashley Jaeger, Elisabeth (Erickson) Shows, Sarah Jaeger, Alex Erickson, and Joshua Jaeger; and one great-grandchild, Isabella Shows.

Every one of us who survive him will never forget him and all he taught us through his example.