Ray Charles Erickson

Jan. 30, 1918 – August 16, 2019

Born to parents Isaac and Martha Erickson in St. Peter, Minnesota, he attended the local high school and then Gustavus Adolphus College where he received an A.B. in biology in 1941. He attended Iowa State University and received a M.S. in zoology in 1943 and a Ph.D. in zoology in 1948. From 1943 – 46 he served three years during WWII as a U.S. Navy deck officer in landing craft, primarily in the South Pacific.

Dr. Erickson joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1948 as a biologist at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge south of Burns, Oregon where he married Helen (Jo) Haworth of Nampa, Idaho in 1953. His work then took him to Washington, D.C. where he became Chief of Wildlife Management for the federal refuge system. In 1957, he moved to the position of Research Staff Specialist in Wetland Ecology Research for 8 years. In 1965, Dr. Erickson developed and headed the Bureau’s Endangered Wildlife Research Program at the Patuxent Center near Laurel, Maryland, where he supervised 14 scientist and other personnel in field and laboratory research on about 60 endangered and threatened wildlife species. For this work, he was granted the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Distinguished Service Award, the National Wildlife Federation’s Special Conversation Award, Gustavus Adolphus College’s Distinguished Alumni Citation, the Zoological Society of San Diego’s Wildlife Conservation Award, and The Wildlife Society’s Special Recognition Award.

He has been elected to Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, Who Knows and What, and American Men and Women of Science. He has served as president of The Washington Biologists Field Club of the District of Columbia, and member of the Governor’s Oregon Natural Heritage Advisory Council, and has authored more than 35 technical and popular articles and chapters in 3 books.

His interests have been mainly in ourdoor activities such as fishing, photography, bird watching, hiking, golf, and gardening.

In 2001, he married Grace M. Cranor of Salem and they have enjoyed the afore-mentioned activities, as well as travel to China, Australia, Zealand, and Costa Rica. Excursions also included traveling up the Inland Passage of British Columbia and fishing out of Homer, Alaska.

Ray has been an active member of Saint Mark Lutheran Church, the Salem Audubon Society, the Chemeketans, Northwest Steelheaders, and the Williamette Valley Fishing Club, as well as a committee assignment at Salemtowne Community where he spent his later years.

After his wife Grace’s passing, he moved into Lancaster Village Assisted Living Center in Salem.

Ray passed away peacefully at 101 years of age. Survivors are Susan Foster of Hollister, CA, sons David of Baltimore and Tom of Salem, OR.

At his request, there will be no funeral, and private internment of his ashes will be at Belcrest Memorial Gardens in Salem, Oregon.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Integrated Supports for Living, Inc., Salem, OR, the ARC of Salem, OR, or The Wildlife Conservation Society, Washington D.C.