Erika De Salvatore (Ballman)

Erika Marie De Salvatore (Ballman), went to be with the Angels on June 22nd, 2021 in Edina, Minnesota.

She was born July 23rd 1977 in Erie, Pennsylvania to Deborah Ballman and James Kovach

Erika was destined to move mountains the second she was born.

Erika attended Mercyhurst Preparatory and continued her education at Mercyhurst University

and F.I.T. in NYC. She pursued her dream majoring in marketing and merchandising in the

fashion industry. Her life journey led her to working at Express Corporate in Columbus, Ohio.

During this time she met the love of her life, Danny DeSalvatore and they married on July 2nd,

2005. Joining him on life's journey through the best and hardest of times. They had two

beautiful children, Massimo and Maria. The children became the reflection of their loving bond

and continue to be rays of light for family and friends.

Erika and family made their way to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she held her dream job at

Target Corporate. She built and developed an amazing visual merchandising team.

As a mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend, Erika was consistently a caring, kind, loving,

loyal, and generous soul. Erika developed a friendship with whomever she met and was

accepting of all.

She has left a deep imprint in this world that will never be forgotten.

Preceded in death by her aunt Karen (Ballman), her grandfather Eugene Ballman, her uncle

John Cunningham, her grandmother and grandfather who adored her, Ed and Carmella Kovach,

and lastly her very good friend Ryan Hug.

Erika is survived by her husband Danny DeSalvatore, the love of her life, her children Massimo

and Maria, her rays of sunshine. Erika is also survived by her Mother Deborah Ballman, her

father James Kovach, her Grandmother Harriet Ballman, her brother Matt Ballman and his wife

Colette and her nephew Austin and niece Willow of Erie, PA. Her two brothers Julian Kovach

and Devin Kovach in Boulder, CO, her loving parents in law Giuseppe and Celeste DeSalvatore.

Her sister in law Marsha DeSalvatore and her fiance Raffaele Maroscia, her brother in law

Francesco and his fiance Ali Schneiderman. Deeply religious in her Faith, she was Godmother

to Jessica Castelluzzo and Paul Raupers Also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins.

And cousins Lisa and Rosario Castelluzzo. She will be forever missed, her memory lives on by

a multitude of friends.

Obituary submitted by the Burton Quinn Scott Cremation and Funeral Services, Inc., Wintergreen, 2532 Norcross Road, Erie.

It saddens me to share the news that we've lost a member of our Mercyhurst fashion alumni family. Erika (Ballman) De Salvatore was a 2000 graduate of our program. Erika also took advantage of our 3+1 Visiting Student Program in which she also earned a one-year associate's degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in addition to her B.S. in Fashion Merchandising from Mercyhurst University (then College).  Upon graduation, Erika went on to work at the corporate headquarters of EXPRESS where she worked her way up to the position of Director of Visual Merchandising.  In 2016, she then took the position as Vice President of Visual at Target's corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, where she lived with her husband and two children. Please keep Erika's family in your thoughts and prayers. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.