Charlotte Elizabeth Erikson Cote

1934 - 2024

Charlotte Elizabeth Erikson Cote

Concord, NH - Charlotte Erikson Cote passed away on January 31 at her home in Concord, NH, with her two daughters by her side. Charlotte was born on November 3, 1934, in Worcester, MA, the daughter of Walter Erikson and Dorothy Harris Erikson. She started school in Worcester before the family moved to Milford, NH. There, she attended Milford schools, graduating in the class of 1952. She continued her education at the University of New Hampshire, graduating in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. She then began her career as an OT at Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Boston.

In the 1960s, Charlotte lived in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland, where she worked with children at the Scotscraig School. She later joined the Peace Corps and spent two years training occupational therapy students at the University of the Philippines in Manila. During the years when she worked overseas, she traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Whether she was home or abroad, she loved live music, seeing the likes of Ella Fitzgerald in Scotland, the Beatles in Manila, and numerous folk artists including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Tom Rush during the many evenings she spent at her favorite coffee house in Harvard Square, Club 47.

After returning to New Hampshire in 1968, Charlotte worked at Easter Seals in Manchester. There, she met her future husband Joseph R. Cote, marrying in 1970. Later, they settled down with their two daughters Aimee and Becky, in Concord. She continued her career as an OT at the Visiting Nurses Association, Havenwood Nursing Home, the Laconia State School, and then in the Manchester School System.

Charlotte served the students of Manchester up until her retirement. Always energetic, she continued to lead an active life, enjoying traveling, gardening, reading, scrapbooking, doing crosswords, and line-dancing right up until the pandemic. She and Marcia Nelson, her sister, dedicated themselves to researching their family genealogy, visiting their grandparents' birthplaces in Scotland and Sweden. She also visited her daughters, granddaughter, and son-in-law regularly in France and Seattle.

In the last few years of her life, she enjoyed reading the daily Concord Monitor, sitting in her comfy rocking chair, spending time with her family, admiring every piece of art she received from her granddaughter, chatting with her caretakers, and 4:30 wine time with a little glass of white zinfandel. Her passing brings great sadness and she will be profoundly missed, but cheers to a life well-lived!

Charlotte was predeceased by her husband, her parents, and a sister, Janice Quinn. She is survived by her daughters Becky Cote of Concord; Aimee Cote, son-in-law Thomas Ricaud, and granddaughter Isabelle Ricaud of St. Germain-en-Laye, France; sister Marcia Nelson of Milford; and brother Erik Erikson of Cloverdale, California; as well as several nieces and nephews.

SERVICES: There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held this summer. Donations in her memory may be made to The Special Olympics of New Hampshire. To view Charlotte's Online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.