Betty Jane Steiner Ericsson .
Betty Jane Steiner Ericsson, age 86, of Millcreek,PA,
passed away Thursday, April 1, 2010, at Saint Vincent Health Center, several days after she had grudgingly allowed her children to take her to her family doctor, even though she was, she said, "feeling just fine." During preparation for an exam to investigate a preliminary diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and while under a strong pain reliever, she suffered a sudden attack from which she never recovered. Her family believes this saved her from a long, painful, and futile struggle, and for this, they are grateful. She was born in Erie on November 13, 1923, daughter of the late John and Susan Gallowits Steiner. She grew up in Wesleyville, where she was a star on the Wesleyville High Bulldogs girls' basketball team back in the day of the two-section court, when the girls on offense played on one end, and the team's defensive players were on the other. She was affiliated with Belle Valley Presbyterian Church. She was first employed at General Electric Company and then at Erie Insurance Exchange prior to retirement in 1983. She was a quirky, generous woman who loved hosting big family gatherings at which there was always way to much good food, winning at the casino, and laughing with her husband and her children and grandchildren, of whom she was extremely proud. She will be sorely missed. Betty is survived by her husband of 62 years, Richard Ericsson;
two sons, William Ericsson (Linda Williams) and Robert Ericsson (Nancy) all of Millcreek; one daughter, Linda Sue Markow (Roy) of Wattsburg; five grandchildren, Kate Williams Ericsson, Dean and Chelsea Markow, Tiffany Sherwood and Ryan Sherwood-Ericsson; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two brothers, William and Carl Steiner, and one grandson, Chad Richard Markow. Friends may call at the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., East, 2607 Buffalo Road on Monday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. and are invited to attend a Funeral Service there on Tuesday at 10 a.m. conducted by Rev. Dave Edmunds, Pastor of Belle Valley Presbyterian Church. Interment will be at Wintergreen Gorge Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to The Caring Place, 510 Cranberry St., Erie, PA 16507, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To send condolences, visit www.dusckasfuneralhome.com.