Muriel Marie Erickson

Muriel “Dick” Erickson passed away on August 28, 2025. She was born in Frankford Township, New Jersey, on October 12, 1929, to Belva and Harold Dickerson. Her father passed away when Dick was 5 years old and her mother moved the family of three, two boys and Dick, to Lafayette, New Jersey. Dick was only 17 years old when she graduated from high school and too young to go to nursing school. She went to Maryville College for a year and then transferred to Orange Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Orange, New Jersey. On her first night at school, she was renamed “Dick” as her roommates couldn’t pronounce “Muriel” and thus began their long and enduring friendships. It was during nursing school that Dick met Bernard Erickson, and after a whirlwind courtship of 6 months, they were married in Lafayette, New Jersey on June 12, 1951. They lived in New Jersey until 1965 when a job change took Barn, Dick and their daughters to Kankakee, IL. In 1970, the family moved from Kankakee, IL, to Tampa where Dick worked at University Community Hospital (now Advent Health) as a floor nurse and later as a head nurse on a stepdown unit and oncology. In retirement, she continued her passion for her profession by giving flu shots and doing wellness checks on the hospital’s health bus. She also volunteered at St. Joe’s Women’s Hospital well into her 80s.

She loved to sew and made many of the clothes for herself and her daughters, winning an award from Vogue for her craftsmanship. In addition to sewing, Dick also loved to cook, travel, knit, paint, and do hand embroidery. Everything that she attempted was done with passion and skill.

Dick was a member and past President of GFWC Tampa Lakes Women’s Club. She was a longtime member of Messiah Lutheran Church, Tampa, and “Meme” to her grandchildren David and Jennifer (Jaime) and great grandmother to James and Sadie.

She is survived by her daughters Debbie (Jerry) and Donna (Bill). She was preceded in death by Bernard. She will be sorely missed by her family and numerous friends, but her light will shine in our memories of the times and life that we shared.

A memorial service for Dick will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church, 14920 Hutchison Rd, Tampa, on October 11, 2025, at 1:00 pm. Interment will be in the church’s memorial garden with a reception immediately following.

A scholarship has been created in Dick’s memory. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the USF College of Nursing Scholarship by following this link: https://usf.to/MurielErickson