~ IN MEMORY ~
Military veteran, NWA Capt. John Richard “Dick”
Erlandson
February 4, 1930 - September 5, 2022
From friends, family and colleagues we have
learned of the passing of retired Northwest pilot Captain John Richard “Dick”
Erlandson, age 92. Captain Erlandson
joined Northwest Airlines 04-25-1959. He is survived by his wife Barbara and their children
along with his grand- and greatgrandchildren.
Obituary and service information may be found
online at
https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/mn/eden-prairie/john-erlandson-15198762
Condolences may be sent to the Erlandson family
at:
6501 Nordic Drive
Minneapolis, MN 55439
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary :
It is with great sadness that we announce the
death of John Richard Erlandson (Eden Prairie, Minnesota), who passed away on
September 5, 2022, at the age of 92, leaving to mourn family and friends.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, September
15th 2022 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and on Friday, September 16th 2022 from 10:00
AM to 11:00 AM. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 16th 2022
at 11:00 AM at the Normandale Lutheran Church (6100 Normandale Rd, Edina, MN
55436).
……………………………………
John Richard "Dick" Erlandson slipped
the surly bonds of earth for the last time, touched the face of God, and came
into the presence of his precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday,
September 5th, 2022. Dick was born February 4th, 1930 in Gary, Indiana, the
second of five children where he learned from Arnold and Helen to put FAMILY
first; he worked in his Dad's dairy in Miller, where he regularly drank the
cream from the top of the milk bottles on any given day, then headed out to
Lake Michigan to tear the beach up in his brother Charlie's custom dune buggy.
He worked in the steel mills in high school; hitchhiked to Gustavus Adolphus
College for two years, then attended CU Boulder graduating with a degree in
Pharmacy.
The call to adventure came, and Dick joined the
U.S. Navy as a carrier pilot, flying the AD Skyraider off the deck of the
U.S.S. Hornet patrolling the Sea of Japan in the 1950s. He found himself based
in Quonset Point, RI, where on leave one weekend, he met the beautiful Babsie
Cartwright from Englewood, NJ, his wife of 66 years. His flying career brought
him and Babs to Northwest Airlines where he flew the Red Tails for 31 years,
flying the world over in DC-10s and the "Jumbo Jet" 747s.
In the midst of his flying career Dick worked at a
friend's pharmacy during the NWA strike years, bought a couple of horse farms
over two decades and was known as "Farmer Dick," as well as the
Captain. He was devoted to his family and his church, Normandale Lutheran,
where he began to grow his family spiritually in 1959, and never leaving until
now, to finally see Jesus face to face. Dick was beloved by his wife, children,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and literally everyone he ever met. He was
involved in the following: airplane building, hang-gliding, scuba diving,
hunting, smelting, golfing, sailing, snowmobiling, skiing, mountain climbing,
choir singing, cooking, baking, gardening, carpentry, mechanic guy, secret
shopper guy, apple-cider presser every fall, and all-around shenanigan
instigator. With all of the above, getting a child involved, any child, was
best.
Dick is survived by Barb "Babs"
Erlandson, son Jim, daughter Lynn (Russ) Pauly, daughter Susan (Paul) Breckner,
son John (Romy), twelve grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and numerous
nieces and nephews.
Funeral service 11 AM Friday (9/16) at Normandale
Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road, Edina. Visitation 5-7 PM Thursday at
Huber Funeral Home, 16394 Glory Lane, Eden Prairie and one hour prior to
service at CHURCH. Interment Lakewood Cemetery. The service will be live
streamed at the church website https://normluth.org/livestream/
Huber Funeral & Cremation Services
Eden Prairie Chapel 952-949-4970
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