Eriksson, Leif

Leif Esbjorne Eriksson, 83, passed away peacefully on July 7^th at his home in Fairport, NY having spent his last day with his four daughters by his side.  Born March 13, 1938 in Sundsvall, Sweden, to Sten Rune and Siri Aline (Strandlund) Eriksson, Leif (Lee) immigrated to America in 1949 with his parents and Sister Gullvi and ultimately settled in Rochester, NY.

Lee graduated from Franklin High School, Rochester, and then attended night-school at RIT to earn a degree in Technology while working at Eastman Kodak.  During his 30 years of employment, he acquired an electrician’s license as an Electrical Engineering Technician.   After retirement, he worked many years in his own electrical business, LE Electric.

Lee was loved by all that knew him.  He loved playing cards and games, animals, sports, chatting with anyone about technology and current events and most of all his family.  Always the trickster, he loved playing small practical jokes on people.  He would be a wonderful instigator of spontaneous fun, like throwing wads of Christmas wrapping at someone (pretending to know nothing about it), which of course started a fun wrapping paper war.   He is well known by family and friends for putting in hot and cold water valves backwards, or electrical switches in strange spots… just for fun. 

He was generally a quiet, soft spoken man, often sneaking off to nap, and then mysteriously reappearing and coming up with one-liners as if he had never left.  One day, during a Fourth of July gathering at camp, we were all at the neighbor’s place and heard a huge BOOM – dad had found an unused firework and put it in the leftover coals of the previous night’s campfire (upsidedown!).. we all ran over to see him standing there with a huge smile on his face.

He had many nicknames including Mr. Maybe, Sparky, Yogi, Oh Yuck, and the beloved NaNu that he used with his daughters. 

Lee was a summer resident of Dexter, NY,  and had many friends on Road 365.   In the 70’s and 80’s, he was co-owner of the Pillar Point Driving Range in Dexter, NY, with his in-laws Bill and Marge Finucane.  He built the Miniature Golf Course there in the late 70’s that many people enjoyed. 

Lee loved to visit his homeland of Sweden with his most recent trip made with his daughter, Karen, in 2012. He loved to tell stories of his youth, the beautiful summers, and fishing near his grandfather’s traditional red Swedish country home.

Lee was predeceased by his wife of 51 years, Marilyn (Finucane) Eriksson who passed in 2011.  He is survived by his four daughters and their spouses, Karen and John Cipro, Kristine Erriksson, Kate and Eddie Wilson, and Heidi Eriksson and John Ward, his sister Gullvi (Bruce) Mahn, and grandchildren Jodi, Leah, Kori, Maddy, Sammy, Jack, Erik, Stephen, Christian, Siri, and great-granddaughter, Paige, and numerous nieces and nephews.  Also survived by his loving in-laws Margaret Rickman, Michael (Kathy) Finucane, Patricia (Ronny) Mason, Robert Finucane, and many beloved Swedish cousins.

Swedish National Anthem

Thou quiet, Thou joyful and fair!
I greet thee, loveliest land upon earth,
Your sun, Your sky, Your meadows green.

Thou thrive on memories of great olden days,
When honoured Thy name flew over the earth,
I know that Thou art and wilt remain what thou we rest,
Yes, I want to live, I want to die in the North.

Services and Paying Respects

There will be no services or calling hours per his wishes. 

A celebration of life will be held at Don’s Original Pub, Sunday July 11 from 11:00 AM – 01:00 PM, with lunch served at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester or to your local animal shelter

Don’s Original Restaurant

2055 Fairport Nine Mile Point Rd.

Penfield, NY 14526