Judith B Erickson

Dr. Judith B. Erickson, 91, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 27, 2026, at OhioHealth Hospice at Canal Winchester’s Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Judith was born on July 13, 1934, in Peekskill, New York, and lived a life filled with curiosity, learning, and a deep passion for helping young people. She earned her BS degree from Wheaton College in Illinois and her MS and PhD from the University of Minnesota, where she later spent many years teaching and conducting research in sociology. She was also on the faculty at Macalester College and served for more than a decade as the director of research for the Indiana Youth Institute. Through a fellowship, she spent two meaningful years with the National Science Foundation’s Science Education Division.

Dr. Erickson is especially remembered for her work studying youth organizations and their impact over time. She authored the Directory of American Youth Organizations in 1983 and continued updating it for many years, work that became a valuable resource for the field.

Throughout her life, she generously gave her time and talents to several organizations, including the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, the Minnesota Area United Way, and Safe Sitter, Inc. in Indiana.

Outside of her professional work, Judith had a creative spirit. She enjoyed photography, collecting antiques, and traveling the world, especially to countries throughout the Middle East and Asia. She also created a children’s book, Lilliput, serving as the author and photographer, inspired by the adventures of her beloved dachshund.

Judith is survived by her cousins Melanie Tracy of Pickerington, Ohio, and Jon Berry of Allons, Tennessee. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Virginia Erickson.