Donald’s Obituary Donald A. Erickson, a teacher and a coach who mentored several generations of young people in Remington and surrounding communities and at Tri-County High School, died Tuesday, March 19, 2019. He was 89 years old. Mr. Erickson was born on May 13, 1929, in Aberdeen, S.D. to Hazel Mary Wilkerson Erickson and Tim A. Erickson.
He was the second of four children. His older brother, Robert, died at a young age in a tragic drowning. His younger brother Bruce died in 2015.
He is survived by a sister, Phyllis Rowan. Mr. Erickson spent his childhood in South Dakota on ranches and living on Native American reservations where his mother taught. He loved to tell stories about his life there and the severe winters.
He loved the outdoors and horses. In his teens he moved to southern Indiana and graduated from Henryville High School where he was a part of a very successful basketball team that did not lose a game in the regular season for three years and is still honored in Henryville as its best team. He attended Indiana Central College in Indianapolis and initially taught school and coached basketball in Kentucky.
After serving in the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers, he attended Indiana University and Indiana State University. He had degrees in health and physical education and math.
On July 23, 1955, Mr. Erickson married Mary Lou Brechbill in Hammond, Indiana. They met at I.U. where they were both students and attended an evening at Wesley Foundation. They were blessed with three children: a daughter, Marcia Brunson, and two sons, Timothy and John.
He taught and coached briefly at Freeland Park High School and Chalmers before he accepted a position in the Remington school system where he taught and coached until Remington consolidated with the Wolcott school system in the 1970s to become Tri-County School Corporation. There he taught math and was the athletic director until he retired in 1995. He greatly enjoyed teaching math and coaching sports of all kinds.
He was instrumental in starting football and wrestling at Tri-County. His love of children and athletics was demonstrated early in his career. He started the Remington summer baseball league and coached generations of children as young as 5 to high school, many times all in one day.
He put in long days, and then coached home and away games on evenings and weekends. Each weekday morning he would start with the youngest children, pitching underhand to them for several hours so they could hit and field. Later in the day, when the older kids practiced, they pitched to each other and he could observe to provide instruction.
Many times he was the only adult in a sea of children rotating on and off of the baseball diamond for practice. Later at Tri-County he coached all levels from 6th grade to varsity and became the mentor for girls’ sports. He coached girls’ basketball and the girls could always make him smile.
Mr. Erickson will be dearly missed by many. He never knew a stranger and loved to talk to anyone. His hearty laugh and booming voice were heard by many.
He and his wife were twice the grand marshals of the Remington Christmas parade, an honor they cherished the rest of their lives. In addition to his brother mentioned earlier, Mr. Erickson was preceded in death by his parents; sister-in-law Edna Erickson; brother-in-law Orland Rowan; dear cousins, Frank and Mary Campbell; and grandson Christopher William Brunson. In addition to his sister, Phyllis Rowan, Mr. Erickson is survived by his wife, Mary Lou; daughter, Marcia (Mark) Brunson; sons Tim (Robin) Erickson; and John (Susan) Erickson; grandchildren Melanie (Josh) Brunson-Moon, Matt (Marissa) Brunson; Madison (Shaun) Perregrino; Erin Erickson and Kieran Erickson; and great grandchildren Haley Standafer, Dakota Brunson, Aili Moon, Liam Moon, and Elise Perregrino.
He also leaves behind several nieces, nephews and cousins. In memory of Mr. Erickson, pick a flower and go visit someone, or pick up a card and send it to someone that believed in you or in whom you believe, or, be like Mr. Erickson, stop on the street and talk to the first person you see. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Remington United Methodist Church, Our Hospice of South Central Indiana or your local baseball league.
Friends may call from 4-8 PM (EST) Friday, March 22, 2019 at Remington United Methodist Church. Memorial Service 11 AM (EST) with an hour prior visitation Saturday, March 23, 2019 also at Remington United Methodist Church with Rev. Jeff Smith officiating.
Interment to follow immediately in Remington Cemetery with military honors. Share memories and condolences online at www. clapperfuneralservices.com.
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