Anita R. Erickson, steadfast church and community volunteer, retired office manager and bookkeeper, and most importantly, the heart of a loving family, died March 21, 2026, at the age of 86 at her home in Clermont FL. Funeral services for Mrs. Erickson will be held Saturday May 2 at 11 am at St. Matthias Episcopal Church, 574 W. Montrose Ave., Clermont FL, followed by burial at Winter Garden Cemetery, Lake Butler Blvd., Winter Garden FL. A brunch for all attendees will precede the funeral service at 9:30 am at St. Matthias Church. There are no calling hours; arrangements are with Becker Funeral Home, Clermont FL.

Ingegerd Anita Rasmusson was born April 6, 1939 in Stockholm, Sweden, daughter of Arne Evert and Eva Margareta (Forsell) Rasmusson. In May 1948, the family immigrated to the United States from the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden aboard the SS Stockholm, arriving in New York on June 1 and initially settling in Willimantic CT. Emigrating from Sweden was a driving force behind Mrs. Erickson’s lifelong tenets of hard work, loyalty and devotion to family. She was fond of recalling that not only did she and her older sister Anne-Marie work as teenagers on a South Windsor CT tobacco farm, but also that she met the love of her life and her future husband, Joe Erickson, in Willimantic. The Rasmussons later moved to Hartford CT and eventually settled in Manchester CT. On November 11, 1954, she was naturalized as a US citizen as Anita Ingegerd Rasmusson. She began her work career at the age of 17, first as a switchboard operator at Southern New England Telephone Company and then as a receptionist and switchboard operator at Green Manor Construction Company, both in Manchester.

Anita Rasmusson married Joseph L. Erickson on September 20, 1958 at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Manchester CT, with Pastor C. Henry Anderson officiating. The couple raised their three children on Clinton Street, Manchester, across from the Rasmusson home. As an active mother of three young children, Mrs. Erickson served as Boy Scout Den Mother, Girl Scout Leader, participated in bowling leagues, and organized camping trips and yearly skiing trips to Mt. Snow VT. While balancing this busy family life, she also earned a Certificate in Accounting from Manchester Community College in June 1976.

In December of 1976 she accepted what she believed was a six-month position with the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Instead, she served for another 28 years as bookkeeper and later office manager. Known for her positive professional manner, Mrs. Erickson became the institutional memory of the Chamber. In those 28 years, she managed a 100 percent increase in Chamber membership, worked with five bosses across two locations, and organized countless events, including product shows, golf tournaments, Manchester “Feast Fests”, and other fundraisers. Upon her retirement, one chamber member reflected: “I’ve never had any negativity from her. We are going to miss her.” Her impact was felt beyond Manchester business and commercial circles. As one former Chamber president said: “Anita has been the common thread running through the community.”

In May 2005, Mrs. Erickson retired from the Chamber and her husband Joseph Erickson retired after nearly 50 years working for Viking Baking Company, West Hartford CT and Highland Park Market, Manchester CT. The couple moved in late 2005 to Summit Greens in Clermont FL, to be closer to their daughter Lisa’s young family. Less than a year later, on September 8, 2006, her husband of nearly 48 years died unexpectedly. In the ensuing 20 years, Mrs. Erickson rose above her grief through service to her community. As a parishioner of St. Matthias Episcopal Church, she prepared financial reports for the Church Vestry meetings, served on the Outreach Committee, Women’s Group, Women’s Bible Study, Flower Guild, Altar Guild, and supported Hospitality and Bereavement events, the St. Nicholas event, Harvest Festival, bake sales, tea parties, and pancake suppers. Her volunteer work extended to the greater Clermont community, working at the Faith Neighborhood Food Pantry, Cornerstone Hospice, and even delivering late-night leftover Panera bread products to a local homeless shelter.

Mrs. Erickson was proud of her Swedish heritage. Her daughters’ children called her Mormor (Mother’s Mother) and her son’s children called her Farmor (Father’s Mother), and to her great-grandchildren she was Gigi. Somehow the grandchildren always got the convention straight (although their parents were sometimes confused). Her signature dish -- Swedish pancakes -- was devoured by children, grandchildren, even great-grandchildren, and anyone lucky enough to be in her kitchen while she cooked. The Rasmusson/Erickson families took enormous efforts to bring the traditions of a classic Swedish Christmas Eve to life every year for the entire family. Preparation of the elaborate Christmas Eve smorgasbord, from sill (herring) to the Christmas Ham has been passed down for generations with recipe cards in Swedish and last-minute frantic phone calls. She was also known for her impeccable taste, crafting skills and decorating talents, expressed through holiday decorations, beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts, hand-crafted greeting cards for every holiday, ceramics and graceful porcelain dolls. Her family members were the grateful recipients of her creative efforts and her capacity to focus on the small, often overlooked, details.

Mrs. Erickson is survived by three children, Keith A. (Pamela) Moore-Erickson of Brunswick MD, Kim E. (James) Parisi of Piedmont SC, Lisa E. (Kenneth) Sumal of Winter Garden FL; seven grandchildren, Philip M. (Emily) Erickson of Brunswick MD, Matthew J. (Shauna) Parisi of Newport Beach CA, Elisabet M. (Caleb) Erickson Gaasch of Brunswick MD, Emily M. (Sebastian) Parisi Goodhew of London, UK, Kirsten E. Sumal of Winter Garden FL, Olivia M. Sumal of Winter Garden FL, Julia L. Sumal of Winter Garden FL; six great-grandchildren, Delta Lynn Parisi, Neil Reid Erickson, Atlas Lynn Parisi, Aela Mae Erickson, Venture Lynn Parisi, and John Bruce Gaasch. She is also survived by two sisters, Eva Anne-Marie Kogos of Greenfield MA, and Barbara Macdonald of Manchester CT, and many nieces and nephews.