Mary Kay “Cakey” Ravarino Erickson

Mary Kay “Cakey” Ravarino Erickson, age 74, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was a beloved mother, wife, sister, nurse, and devoted friend.

Born December 17, 1950, in Salt Lake City to Angelo Ravarino and Joyce Shaughnessy, Mary Kay was the fifth of six children. She graduated from St. Mary’s of the Wasatch and earned her nursing degree from Westminster College, beginning a 50-year career she truly loved.

She started as a surgical nurse in 1975 at St. Mark’s Hospital. In the 1990s, she helped pioneer home care for HIV-positive and oncology patients through the University of Utah. At the end of her nursing tenure, she cared for patients along Washington State’s rivers, often saying she was a “dam nurse” with a “dam job.” She cherished the bonds she formed with her fellow nurses.

In 1981, she married Todd Erickson—despite him asking on the day of their wedding if she liked the lace hat she was wearing, to which she replied, “No, my mother made me wear it!” They were married at St. Ambrose Church, holding their reception at Alta’s Rustler Lodge—a nod to her love of skiing and the Wasatch Mountains. They would have celebrated 44 years of marriage on June 27. As a 20-year Navy wife, Mary Kay held down the fort, creating a loving home through relocations and deployments. Together, they raised two children, Aimee and Adam, both of whom followed her into nursing.

Cakey lived life with joy and adventure. She loved traveling to Italy, floating the Grand Canyon with her friend Val, trips to Flaming Gorge with her sister and chosen sister Annie, biking and camping with Peggy and Dru, skiing alongside her friend Pam—wearing jeans and toting a Bota Bag in the early days—and making many other sojourns with friends and family. Her Silver Fork cabin was her sanctuary; there she treasured her time and her Alpine Lane friends.

She is survived by her husband, Todd Erickson; children, Aimee and Adam Erickson; sister, Carol Ravarino (Jim Wilcox); brother, Johnny Ravarino (Pat); and her loyal dog, Riley. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Mickey, Danny, and Jimmy.

The family is deeply grateful to those who were alongside them throughout her illness. Special thanks to her care teams at UC Health, IHC, CNS, the Huntsman Cancer Institute, and to Sherry Morris for bringing her care home to Utah—it took a village. There is really no way to thank the Williams, Murphy, and Wilcox families for offering homes away from home.

A private service will be held July 2 at the Carmelites Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to SaveOurCanyons.org, Smile Train, Doctors Without Borders, or the Carmelites.

“To live in the hearts of those we love and leave behind is not to die.”
—Thomas Campbell