Todd Erickson, a Minnesota operator who spent 50 years in the amusement industry, died Aug. 19 in Minneapolis. He owned multiple businesses over the years, including MN State Fair Penny Arcade, Summit Amusement and Photobooth Memories.
His son Nick Erickson now runs the route (today called Timberland Amusement) and reported that Todd also taught service schools for AMOA and worked on beta machines for the likes of Williams, Bally, Smart Industries and Atari.
He was also a writer, having done work for Star Tech Journal, Play Meter and RePlay. (His column, “Todd on Target,” ran in the 1980s in RePlay.)
According to his obituary, Erickson was born on June 19, 1944, to Arnold and Adele Erickson. He attended Winona State University, where he graduated with a triple major in math, physics and chemistry. He enlisted in the Air Force, where he served as a police sergeant and airman while stationed in Vietnam and Thailand.
Todd is survived by his wife of 54 years, Leslie, and children Nick and Holly (who, like Nick, also works in the amusement industry).
A visitation will be Aug. 31 from 5-8 p.m. at Willwerscheid Funeral Home in St. Paul. The funeral is Sept. 1 from 11 a.m.-noon at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in memory of Todd Erickson to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.