Marcia Smith Erickson

Marcia Antoinette Smith Erickson, 83, of Dixon, CA, passed away Friday, February 7, 2020 in her home, surrounded by family. Born August 4, 1936 in Sidney, Montana, she is predeceased by her parents, Leo and Kathryn Varco Smith. She is survived by her husband of 59 1/2 years, Donald Erickson and her two daughters, Kathleen O’Connor (Mike) of San Miguel, CA and Stacey Gehlken (Steve) of Boise, ID. Also surviving are her sister, Linda Ainsworth (Dick), three granddaughters and one grandson, Kristina Gehlken, 29, (Nic Baughman), Emily Gehlken Ostby, 24, (Ben), Sean O’Connor, 22 and Sara O’Connor, 19. There are also nieces, nephews and cousins that survive and will remember her fondly.

Marcia was a 55 year resident of Dixon. She graduated from Missoula County High School in 1954 and from the University of Montana in 1958. After graduating college she taught elementary school in Great Falls Montana and in 1960 she married our father, Don. They moved to Chicago while Don finished dental school and she taught one more year of elementary school. They moved to California in 1962, living on Travis AFB for two years before putting down roots in Dixon in 1964. For many years, Marcia taught piano out of the home and substituted, but her primary role during these years was of mother and wife. She did both extremely well. She was a strong, intelligent, loyal and quick witted woman. We had the sort of childhood that many dream of and few have, we were extremely lucky girls. When we were in high school, our mom began her next career going to work full time as a 5th grade teacher at Anderson Elementary. She loved teaching and excelled in that role for the next 25 years. Marcia taught piano to many, 5th grade to more and the ability to hold their tongue to none. She was one to speak her mind and we were all the better for it. Marcia loved to swim, especially in “her” cold lake in Montana, she read voraciously and enjoyed her crosswords. She loved being a grandmother and lucky for our kids she and our dad were regularly able to travel to see them, even in Japan and Singapore. She touched so many lives; our dad’s, ours, her extended family, her friends, the many students, the parents and her co-workers.

Marcia loved to teach and she was crazy about outdoor camp! If you feel compelled, instead of flowers, we are asking that Memorial Contributions be made to Anderson School’s Outdoor Education Fund. We hope to enable future generations of fifth graders to sing camp songs and enjoy the outdoors as much as she did. Please make checks to: Anderson Outdoor Education and send to Anderson Elementary School, 415 East C St, Dixon, CA 95620. It is difficult to summarize 83 years in a few sentences so we will also celebrate and honor Marcia’s life on Friday, February 28th from 2-5pm at Dixon’s Olde Vets Hall, 231 North First Street, Dixon.