Sylvia Idell Erickson Delp

Sylvia Idell Erickson Delp, aged 96, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026, at her home in Great Falls, Montana, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Shelby, Montana, to Sydney Elmer and Ellen Louise (Engstrand) Erickson, Sylvia was raised in Shelby and Sunburst. She graduated from Toole County High School, where she met her beloved husband, Robert Odes Delp. They married on September 17, 1950, and celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary last fall, just days before Robert’s passing.

As a devoted military wife and mother, Sylvia accompanied Robert during his United States Air Force career, living at various duty stations including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Moses Lake, Washington; Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; Great Falls, Montana; and Sembach and Wiesbaden, West Germany, before returning to Great Falls. After Robert’s retirement, they moved to Havre, Montana, where they owned and operated an H&R Block tax preparation office together for 16 years. They returned to Great Falls in the winter of 1994. In retirement, Sylvia and Robert enjoyed traveling and spending winters in Arizona as snowbirds.

Sylvia cherished sewing, reading, and square dancing, often making her own dresses. She volunteered for many years in adult education programs, helping others learn to read, until macular degeneration limited her vision. Even then, she remained an avid reader through audiobooks and a magnifier. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who took great interest in the lives of her family. She is survived by her sister, Marda Erickson Miller; her children, Roger Delp, Gail (Adele) Delp, Rebecca (Richard) Skinner, and Constance Kromarek; her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; her parents; her brothers, Donald, Bob, and Dale Erickson; her sister, Cleone Gunn; and her grandson, Vincent Kromarek.