Henry "Hank" Erickson of Danbury died June 29 at Regional Hospice in Danbury after a short, but courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Monroe on July 16, 1933, and was a former longtime resident of Newtown.

He will be remembered for his love of animals and the outdoors.

The love of his life and wife of 40 years, Clare; his two sons, Ken and wife Laura and Rick and wife Sue; his seven grandchildren; his twin sisters, Joan Graff and Joyce Wells; his two stepchildren, Cindy and husband Bob Kostes and Doug and wife Cornelia Hunt; his five step-grandchildren; his cat; and his ex-wife, Flo, survive him.

Mr Erickson worked at Vitramon and retired from Fairfield Hills Hospital as an electrician in the maintenance department. He and Clare were longtime square dancers with the Danbury Mad Hatters. They traveled to Austria and Japan dancing as goodwill ambassadors. Mr Erickson was a member of the Danbury Fish and Game club. He volunteered every year for its kids' fishing derby. He was also a member of the Danbury Chapter of AARP. He will be missed by all of the friends he made over the years.

A lifelong outdoorsman, Mr Erickson respected nature and wildlife. He created an animal sanctuary in his backyard attracting deer, turkeys, and a multitude of birds. He was also an avid sports fan, following the New York Giants and the UConn women's basketball team.

At Mr Erickson's request, there will be no calling hours.

His ashes will be interned at one of his favorite fishing sites.

The family wants to thank Regional Hospice for the care and support they provided for Mr Erickson and his family. Donations may be made in his memory to Regional Hospice, 30 Milestone Road, Danbury CT 06810 or regionalhospicect.org.