Obituary: John M. Erickson

John McArthur Erickson, 84, of Romeoville, passed away peacefully on August 12, 2026, surrounded by love. John is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Elizabeth "Beth"; sons & daughters-in-law John McArthur III & Rhonda, of Geneseo, and Christopher Stephen & Jesse, of Chicago; granddaughters Reagan Joy and Addison Margaret, who were the pride of his heart; sister Vicki Erickson Geloneck, of Brooksville, FL; brother James "Jim," of Lincoln, NE; sister-in-law Mary Clancy Oliveri; brothers-in-law Patrick and Sean Clancy; and sister-in-law Jean Erickson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl “Swede”and
Elizabeth “Betty” Erickson, and his brother, Carl “Cozz” Erickson. Though they never met, John was very fond of his namesake uncle, John McArthur “Mac” Erickson.

A celebration of John McArthur Erickson’s Life takes place on August 29th, 2026, at 10:30 am CT, at the Episcopal Church of Saint Benedict, 909 Lily Cache Lane in Bolingbrook IL. A Gathering for Reminiscence & Fellowship immediately follows in the Parish Hall.The Service will be live-streamed, check with the Church or Beth for connecting details. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Benedict are welcome.

Born in Chicago, John built a career in animal sciences that carried him through Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Nebraska, and G.D. Searle (later Pfizer Pharmaceuticals). Few creatures, large or small, escaped his gentle care, a devotion he carried into volunteer work at Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln (Neb.) Children's Zoo. He
loved to tell of the ailing Bengal tiger he helped treat on his second date with Beth, who took notes as he worked, a story that became family legend.

Storytelling was John's second calling. A natural folk-teller and the family's devoted genealogist, he could turn any afternoon into an adventure, weaving family history and tall tales with equal delight. He was, above all, a human joke-telling machine, a bottomless well of humor and mischief that made it nearly impossible to think of him without breaking into a smile, or a groan, at some remembered bit of comedy. Each December, John became Santa's most devoted helper,filling in at community Christmas parties and Operation Christmas Telethons, and delighting neighborhood children with surprise early visits from Santa himself. John’s "magic" paper bag and mysterious colored balls baffled generations of nieces, nephews, and children who never quite
figured out his tricks.

John was a gentle gentleman who lived to help, to laugh, and to love. He will be deeply missed.