Gregory Lloyd Erion
August 11, 1947—December 29, 2017
Right after Christmas, God called home one of his best. Greg was diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks ago. True to form, as soon as he heard the news, Greg set about helping those whom he was about to leave. He may have been ready, but no one else was prepared for him to go so soon, especially his dear wife Barbara, and his beloved children Liz (Elijah) and Ben (Heather), Jenise and Derick. Asha, Mari, and Everly will miss their AMAZING grandfather. He will not be forgotten by Charlie (Judy) his brother, and the many nieces and nephews in whose lives he was a great influence. The Martins, Petrovitzes and Wells’ have lost a life time friend.
Greg was Lloyd and Dorothy (nee McFadden) Erion’s eldest child. They lived in a flat in San Francisco’s Haight district, just a few blocks from where the two were married after a whirlwind courtship during WWII. It all began one beautiful day in San Francisco when Dot and her friend Donna stepped off a street car and saw two handsome Marines in their dress blues. Lloyd fell immediately in love with Dot’s beautiful smile and both couples were married soon after. When Greg was 4, the Erions moved to South San Francisco into a house right behind the Martin family, with whom they developed a close relationship that lasted the rest of their lives.
Greg was in the first 4-year graduating class at El Camino High School and attended San Francisco State, where he completed a degree in transportation. Right after graduation, Greg volunteered for the U.S. Army and served with distinction in Thailand. He was highly decorated as Soldier of The Year in 1970. Returning home, he began a long career in the transportation field, beginning with the Port of Oakland and including positions with the Western Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads. Greg never stopped learning and earned two master’s degrees, one in business and another in history. After retirement, he finally was able to put his love of history to work as a professor at Skyline College.
Greg was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of baseball and U.S. Presidents, as well as his fascination with obscure individuals few others would notice, specifically Debs Garms, Millard Fillmore, and Norma Shearer. Greg loved to read, travel to presidents’ homes and baseball stadiums, make homemade ice cream, write, watch old movies, put together model ships and play dice baseball with Mike Martin. For many decades, he was a member of the Society of American Baseball Research to which he contributed as a writer and researcher. He was also involved in the Crystal Springs Creative Writers Group.
Perhaps most significantly, Greg was an integral part of Hillside Church of God for over 50 years. From hosting spaghetti dinners and pitching in softball games to serving as chairperson of the Board, Greg involved himself in almost every aspect of the church. He gave guidance and hope to countless people, mentoring young and old through his many letters and kind wisdom. Greg was a compassionate, witty, generous man of absolute integrity. He opened his home and heart in welcome to all. Greg was a man who lived his faith, a faith which gave him strength and peace, especially in his final days.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, January 13th at Hillside Church of God, 1415 Hillside Blvd, South San Francisco, California at 4:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to City Crossroads Ministries of San Francisco or the Hillside Church of God Building Fund.