Alvin Joseph Erickson Jr.

Joe was born on April 13, 1936, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spent his formative years in La Crosse. He loved to hunt, spent time in the woods with his dad, built his own boat, and loved being out on the Mississippi River and wandering the bluffs. He was an active Boy Scout, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, and graduated from Aquinas High School in 1954. In 1955, Joe enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Germany with the 2nd Armored Tank Division. He was honorably discharged in April, 1962. Following his military service, Joe attended the University of Wisconsin, earning both and BS and MS in Geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

On August 26, 1961, Joe married the love of his life, Dianne Louise Temp. Together, they built a life filled with love, adventure, and family. Joe pursued a fulfilling career as a minerals geologist, spending much of his professional life with Exxon’s Coal and Minerals Division. He was passionate about his work and loved being in the field. His work took their family across the U.S., living in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Utah, Minnesota, and New Mexico, before finally settling in Texas, where they raised their family. His career also took him overseas to Germany, Chile, and Australia where he contributed to his profession and made numerous lifelong friends.

Outside of his career, Joe enjoyed gardening, reading non-fiction, fly fishing, traveling, watching his beloved Green Bay Packers, and was an active member of the Louetta Investment Club. He cherished time spent with friends and family and took pride in nurturing his children and grandchildren.

Joe is survived by his daughters, Christine (Erickson) Steele, her husband Mark, and their children Brendan, Taylor, and Zachary of Colleyville, TX; Anne (Erickson) Readhimer, her husband Don, and their children Abby and Kyle of Plano, TX; his sister Ann (Erickson) Healy; sister-in-law Beatrice J. Temp; brother in law Robert M. Temp (Susan); and as well as a number of nieces, nephews, and numerous cousins. Joe was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Dianne; parents Alvin Joseph and Hazel M. (Curtin) Erickson.

A funeral Mass will be held on November 2 at 11 am at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 1000 Tinker Rd., Colleyville, Texas, 76034. Viewing begins at 10 am. All friends and family are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Disabled American Veteran www.dav.org or Wreaths Across America www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. He will be interred at DFW National Cemetery at a future date.