Erick Krouse passed on from this earth on February 22, 2024 at the age of 41. In a place he loved, doing what he loved, he experienced a tragic and accidental fall while hiking Eagle’s Bluff in Clifton, Maine. To know Erick was to know, first and foremost, that the love he carried for his family had no bounds. His wife and life partner for 24 years, Elizabeth Sekera, and his two beautiful children, Harley Muir (8) and Frances Ansel (5) were his purpose and the essence of his being. He poured his heart into nurturing their dreams, supporting their goals, and uplifting them in every way possible. Erick also leaves behind family, including his brothers Josh, Dillon, and Michael, the Sekera family, his dogs Ooko and Jane, and a lifetime of fiercely devoted friends who were chosen family and loved him endlessly.
Erick was born on July 21, 1982 in Texas and spent his childhood years in Portland, Oregon, but struck out on his own earlier than most. He made his way to Boulder, Colorado, where he met the love of his life, Elizabeth at the age of 17. He was looking for a place and looking for himself, and in his love with Elizabeth and others, he began finding these answers through his rich and transformative journey.
Elizabeth and Erick were married in Massachusetts on March 25, 2005, when gay marriage was legalized. At the time, Erick identified as a woman, but through his journey of self-discovery, he came to realize that his true identity had always been that of a man. This realization filled him with profound understanding and emotional resonance. Erick was a proud and out transgender man, who allowed his family and friends to witness and learn from his journey and inspired his wife to become a transgender health expert. Through this process, he taught those around him to understand trans healthcare as a necessity for living an authentic life and enabling him to reach for greater goals. His trans identity did not define him but added beauty and peace to his heart and the hearts around him.
Together, Elizabeth and Erick made a life in Colorado, Oregon, Massachusetts, California, and finally Maine. Along the way, Erick made friends who became his family. His quiet, unassuming nature masked a clever and philosophical man who asked big questions about people, identity, and how we grow. So it made sense when he enrolled in San Francisco State University that he chose to study Social Work. After completing his degree in 2009, he spent the next seven years serving the Berkeley and San Francisco communities, working with various agencies using innovative approaches to enhance community engagement and social integration for youth and adults in crisis.
In 2016, after the birth of their first child, Erick became a full-time parent and raised his babies in Oakland, California, for many years. He resisted convention and allowed his children to develop without judgment, social constructs, and pre-defined barriers. In 2023, he returned to his life’s work of serving others. He was a much loved and valued Bangor School Department staff member when he passed.
When he and his beautiful family moved to Bangor, Maine, in 2020, he built a community of people who love him fiercely. Their move brought him closer to Elizabeth’s large and loving family in Eddington, Maine. It solidified his connection to both the love of his life and a family that embraced him wholeheartedly and loved him endlessly.
Erick’s presence was a precious lesson on how to love your loved ones with great care. His energy continues to provide enduring love. He was a gift to the world and to everyone who knew him. Erick’s most remarkable gift was his ability to open up, see, and make you feel seen. Erick loved working with his hands, making and doing and growing things with patience and stillness that seemed meditative from the outside, but beneath was turning with ideas. He was uniquely attuned to the things around him and loved to be alone and ground himself in nature. He once wrote:
fall is my absolute favorite. fall makes me want to cuddle with my friends and listen to ella and drink red wine while we make soup and cut bread for dinner. fall is brisk but refreshing morning walks to the used bookstore. i think one of my favorite things about fall is how the trees become individuals. when i walk out into the field each morning, i can smile at each one and acknowledge its peace. it fills me.
For those who treasured Erick deeply, our path forward involves daily attempts to emulate his boundless love by uplifting and joyfully celebrating his family, just as he would have done himself. For those who wish to connect with Erick still, we recommend taking time to enjoy his favorite things, like solo hikes to rejuvenate the soul, journaling, lifting weights, being with animals, cooking delicious and creative recipes, making beautiful art, sending the most hysterical gifs to your friends, laughing, showing up and going deep. His friends and family will attempt to capture the beauty of his life and spirit in a special ceremony in the summer, when the weather is perfect for being outside with his family, which is what he loved most.
For those who wish to help the family in this time of transition please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-family-of-erick-krouse
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Erick Krouse, please visit our flower store.
Erick was born on July 21, 1982 in Texas and spent his childhood years in Portland, Oregon, but struck out on his own earlier than most. He made his way to Boulder, Colorado, where he met the love of his life, Elizabeth at the age of 17. He was looking for a place and looking for himself, and in his love with Elizabeth and others, he began finding these answers through his rich and transformative journey.
Elizabeth and Erick were married in Massachusetts on March 25, 2005, when gay marriage was legalized. At the time, Erick identified as a woman, but through his journey of self-discovery, he came to realize that his true identity had always been that of a man. This realization filled him with profound understanding and emotional resonance. Erick was a proud and out transgender man, who allowed his family and friends to witness and learn from his journey and inspired his wife to become a transgender health expert. Through this process, he taught those around him to understand trans healthcare as a necessity for living an authentic life and enabling him to reach for greater goals. His trans identity did not define him but added beauty and peace to his heart and the hearts around him.
Together, Elizabeth and Erick made a life in Colorado, Oregon, Massachusetts, California, and finally Maine. Along the way, Erick made friends who became his family. His quiet, unassuming nature masked a clever and philosophical man who asked big questions about people, identity, and how we grow. So it made sense when he enrolled in San Francisco State University that he chose to study Social Work. After completing his degree in 2009, he spent the next seven years serving the Berkeley and San Francisco communities, working with various agencies using innovative approaches to enhance community engagement and social integration for youth and adults in crisis.
In 2016, after the birth of their first child, Erick became a full-time parent and raised his babies in Oakland, California, for many years. He resisted convention and allowed his children to develop without judgment, social constructs, and pre-defined barriers. In 2023, he returned to his life’s work of serving others. He was a much loved and valued Bangor School Department staff member when he passed.
When he and his beautiful family moved to Bangor, Maine, in 2020, he built a community of people who love him fiercely. Their move brought him closer to Elizabeth’s large and loving family in Eddington, Maine. It solidified his connection to both the love of his life and a family that embraced him wholeheartedly and loved him endlessly.
Erick’s presence was a precious lesson on how to love your loved ones with great care. His energy continues to provide enduring love. He was a gift to the world and to everyone who knew him. Erick’s most remarkable gift was his ability to open up, see, and make you feel seen. Erick loved working with his hands, making and doing and growing things with patience and stillness that seemed meditative from the outside, but beneath was turning with ideas. He was uniquely attuned to the things around him and loved to be alone and ground himself in nature. He once wrote:
fall is my absolute favorite. fall makes me want to cuddle with my friends and listen to ella and drink red wine while we make soup and cut bread for dinner. fall is brisk but refreshing morning walks to the used bookstore. i think one of my favorite things about fall is how the trees become individuals. when i walk out into the field each morning, i can smile at each one and acknowledge its peace. it fills me.
For those who treasured Erick deeply, our path forward involves daily attempts to emulate his boundless love by uplifting and joyfully celebrating his family, just as he would have done himself. For those who wish to connect with Erick still, we recommend taking time to enjoy his favorite things, like solo hikes to rejuvenate the soul, journaling, lifting weights, being with animals, cooking delicious and creative recipes, making beautiful art, sending the most hysterical gifs to your friends, laughing, showing up and going deep. His friends and family will attempt to capture the beauty of his life and spirit in a special ceremony in the summer, when the weather is perfect for being outside with his family, which is what he loved most.
For those who wish to help the family in this time of transition please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-family-of-erick-krouse
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