Tod Russell Erickson

Tod Russell Erickson, 47, of Colgate, ND died Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Tod was born on February 16, 1967, in Valley City, N.D., to Tom and Anita Erickson and was the oldest of four children. He grew up on a farm near Colgate, N.D., and graduated from Page High School in 1985. Tod and his wife Sara, classmates since the third grade, were married on March 11, 1988 in Page. Tod and Sara both graduated from the University of North Dakota, Tod receiving his degree in Aviation Maintenance Management in 1990. Tod also received his airframe and mechanics license in 1989 from Dakota Aero Tech in Fargo. Tod and Sara moved to Apple Valley, Minn., after college, where they lived for four years and had their first child, Elizabeth Elaine, in 1993. They moved to Colgate in 1995 to be closer to family and work in the family business. Here, they had Alexander Thomas in 1995 and Andrew Russell in 1999. Tod was devoted to his family. After moving to Colgate, he worked in the family business, TSR Parts Inc. He spent his free time in the summer with weekend trips to Lake Lida in Minnesota, where he loved pulling his children, nieces and nephews on tubes behind the boat. At dusk, Tod was always on the dock to get photos of the sunset, and often took his kids out for stargazing boat rides after a bonfire. Winter was devoted to Fighting Sioux hockey games. Even a blizzard, or an all night drive home couldn’t keep Tod away from hockey. The game was always right in front of him, but he still needed his radio to make sure he didn’t miss a minute of the action. Tod shared his passion for his country and politics with everyone he met. As a true patriot, he never wavered in his beliefs and his aspirations of how great our country could be. His ambitions also were prevalent with his involvement in the community. Tod served as president of the Hope-Page School Board for multiple years. He also volunteered his time serving as an elder at Colgate Presbyterian Church, ran the movie projector at the Page Theatre and shot off fireworks for the entire community to enjoy on the Fourth of July. Even a child, Tod was fascinated with things in the sky, from Star Wars to model airplanes. He would eagerly recite the opening crawl of each Star Wars film from memory, and finish well before the words even appeared. A licensed Private Pilot, Tod took to the sky every chance he got, which included annual family trips to Airventure in Oshkosh, Wis. Even when he wasn’t piloting his own plane, he and his family went on many trips together. Tod is survived by his wife of 26 years, Sara; three children: Elizabeth, Alex and Andrew; parents: Tom and Anita Erickson of Colgate; siblings: Shawn (Heather) of Colgate, Ryan (Lori) of Forest Lake, Minn., Jennifer of Fargo; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his grandparents: Alfred and Helen Berntson and Kenneth and Elaine Erickson. Visitation: 5-7 PM on Monday, December 15, 2014 with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at the Presbyterian Church in Colgate, ND and will resume one hour prior to the funeral service. Funeral Service: 2:00 PM Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at the Presbyterian Church in Colgate, ND. Burial: Will be at the Page Cemetery, Page, ND.