Dick was born, April 17, 1939 and grew up on the family farm in Richmond, MN. He went to school at Saint Peter and Paul Catholic Grade School and Saint Boniface High School graduating in 1957. After high school, he attended St. Cloud Technical College earning an Electrical Technician degree. He served six months active duty with the Army National Guard—a commitment he would continue one weekend a month for the next six years.
On February 11, 1961, Dick married his high school sweetheart, Gladys Thul, and over the next three years, they completed their family with the births of Steve (1962), Lori (1963), and Linda (1964).
After marrying, Dick and Gladys moved from St. Cloud to St. Paul, and Dick began working with Honeywell as a buyer of components used on the Apollo space program. This job took his family on the road, moving from St. Paul to North Carolina, New Hampshire, and California, with stints back in Minnesota as his job required.
After jumping around the country, the family settled permanently in Minnesota, first in Cedar, and then in Andover. In the early 1970s, Dick went into business for himself, rebuilding television picture tubes in the day when TVs were not a disposable item. When he sold the business, he began one of his favorite jobs, driving school bus, a job he continued until the pandemic.
Dick belonged to and served as the President of the Optimist Club in Robbinsdale, MN. His passions included spending time with his family, traveling with friends to Mexico, camping, fishing, golfing, watching sports on TV, playing dominos and cards (especially cribbage), driving his Farmall B tractor, working on small engines, blowing things up and speed! If it went fast, or could be made to go fast, Dick was on it.
Although very selective about sharing, Dick also had amazing musical talent—playing coronet, trumpet, piano, and singing. He played instruments by ear. If he heard a song he liked, he would just sit down at the piano and work out the tune.
Dick passed away on Friday, April 22, 2022. He was preceded in death by his parents, Norbert and Clara. He will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 61 years, Gladys; children Steve (Adri), Lori (Jim), Linda (Mart); grandchildren, Leah (Matt), Brianna (Evan), Jake, Ruby; great grandchildren, Connor, Myles and Brooke; siblings Theresa (Gerald), John, Victor (Melda); life-long friend Bob; many in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, and family of wonderful friends.
