Erika Norman-Gravseth

She was smart, funny, witty, sassy, fiercely independent, protective of her family, caring, spunky, sweet, and helpful.

Erika was born in Waukegan, lived for a short time in Maine before moving to Hanahan, South Carolina. After ninth grade she and her mother moved to Aurora, Colorado where Erika finished high school. She graduated as one of her school’s valedictorians, was all-state as a clarinetist, and went to CU to study aerospace engineering. She marched for one year in CU’s band, before focusing fully on classes.

After graduating, she was one of only about five people in our class to have a job offer - the Cold War was ending, and there were fewer people needed. She excitedly joined and worked at Ball Aerospace for thirty plus years, doing mechanical design work on many of the instruments on the Hubble Space telescope. She also supported the company’s CAD software and then the company’s PDM system. Just before retiring, she also worked on the Roman space telescope. It’s due to launch by 2027.

Outside of work she had many interests - cross-stitching, quilting and playing guitar (those were short lived), traveling, scuba diving, cooking, gardening, volleyball, home improvements, Muai Thai, learning Spanish and French, and puzzling - sometimes crosswords, but frequently jigsaw puzzles.

She also liked volunteering - she volunteered for the Boulder Rape Crisis team, she spent a year at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic, and she donated lots of blood over the years. Her blood was rare and could be used by newborns. She also spent a lot of time volunteering in Gary’s classes up through middle school.

She enjoyed travel and scuba diving. She petted Wilma the Beluga whale in a boat in a channel off the Nova Scotian coast, drift dived in Cozumel, experienced the crystal clear waters of Grand Cayman, immensely enjoyed the fish around Little Cayman, swam with the Garabaldi in the kelp forests off Catalina island, didn’t like the murkiness of the waters off Jupiter, Florida, was in awe of the whale sharks in Belize, and was slightly horrified to see the dive masters in Hawaii harshly removing the non-native Crown of Thorns. She loved seeing the diverse lifestyles in Key West, loved visiting Paris, sitting and eating at their outdoor cafes, didn’t really appreciate sodden Munich nor swelteringly-hot Switzerland, but she did enjoy the fondue and liked our co-travelers on the tour. She dabbled in snowboarding, but didn’t really enjoy it. But, she still willingly went along with us on an annual ski vacation.

After Christmas in 2023 we also spent over a week at a cabin and treehouse above Blackhawk, and she loved feeding the chickadees and Stellar Blue Jays.

Spring Break in 2024, we stayed at Folley Beach in a quirky cottage, and she really enjoyed visiting the places from her childhood and seeing the more traditional tourist sites in the South.

She always loved little animals, and wanted to save them all, even if they didn’t share her enthusiasm.

She is survived by her husband, Ian Gravseth and her son Gary Gravseth. We will miss her terribly.

Donations in Erika’s memory can be made to Ascendigo Autism Services, Inc., the Tiny Tim Center, or the Wounded Warrior project.

There will be a celebration of life for her at a TBD time and date.

Fond memories any expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.howemortuary.com for her loving family.