Richard Steve Hautzinger

Richard (Dick) Steve Hautzinger, 94 years old, of Crystal Lake, IL, passed away peacefully, January 9, 2026, at JourneyCare Hospice in Barrington, IL. He was born, February 9, 1931, in McHenry, IL to Steve and Minnie (Spindler)Hautzinger and Baptized March 22, 1931, at St. Mary’s Church in McHenry, IL. Dick’s schooling ended upon 8th grade graduation to help work the family farm and told stories of driving and working on the tractor. Before opening his own concrete construction business, as a young adult he worked on a mink farm, various construction jobs and at Raue Hardware in Crystal Lake.

Dick served in the Korean Conflict, the Armed Forces of the United States, from

November 20,1951 to August 19,1953. Sgt. Richard S. Hautzinger was honorably discharged and awarded the Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge and the UN Service Medal.

Dick is survived by his wife of 69 years, Jean (nee Linden), children; Karen Hautzinger, Linda (Hautzinger) Ticknor, grandchildren; Dana (Solon) Sideris, Eva (Matthew) Mertes, Steven (Kate) Ticknor. He is also survived by five great grandsons; Benjamin, Finley,

Vasilios, Owen and Stavros. He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.

In 1954 Dick and Jean met in front of Williams Tap in downtown Crystal Lake, in 1956 they were engaged. Dick thought they should build a home. May of 1956, together they began to build their first home, finishing in November, and moved in after they married December 7, 1956. Over the years Dick built five homes, two for Dick and Jean, one for his brother-in-law, a neighbor and a beautiful retirement home in the woods in Sister Bay, WI for Jean’s parents. Dick had his own business as a cement contractor and Jean was his bookkeeper and secretary, they retired together in 1969.

In retirement Dick was never idle. Skippy, our family dog, kept him company outside while he worked on the vegetable gardens, tending to the chickens and rabbits, taking walks or simply just napping on the back porch. The creative side of Dick came out in his workshop, welding, lathe work, building lawn art, and restoring a Model T-Ford. In his 40’s he found a new hobby, snowmobile racing in 1969 and later Mini-Champ car racing in1974. For both sports he was his own mechanic with Jean as his main pit crew. Dick was a successful driver in both sports. 1973, in Malone, New York, Dick raced his way to win the Snowmobile World Series as the winner in his division, Mod II. He was also awarded, upon the vote of his peers, the 1973 Driver of the Year Award and Trophy. Dick was so very proud of that accomplishment. One can find part of his snowmobile racing history at the Snowmobile Hall of Fame and Museum in Saint Germain, WI. He also excelled in Mini-Champ car racing. As a member of the Midwest Mini-Champ Racing association, he raced out of Rockford, IL; Slinger, WI; Illiana, IN; Lake Geneva, WI and Hartford, MI, among others. The trophy wall in his basement for both sports help tell the story of his victories. In the late 70’s the workshop then became his warehouse when Dick began to collect and sell Model T-Ford parts. Another shed was built to accommodate his motor home that Dick and Jean traveled in, carrying his wares around the U.S. to many swap meets. Not only did they bring home items for Dick to fix and resell, Jean and Dick brought home wonderful stories about the people and friends they made along the way and about the wheeling and dealing part of the swap meets. During their swap meet era, a new project emerged. After working hard for two years, in 1981 his 1925 Model T Speedster (a hot-rod from the brass era) was finally ready to hit the road. A whole new level of fun and friends followed for him and Jean. Parades, car shows and many rides in his speedster brought such happiness to Dick. The build story of this hot-rod was a joy for Dick to share with anyone who had an ear to lend. The engine & running gear, bought for $50, the handmade frame, modifications, accessories, bells, whistles and horns, made for great conversations and show.

Dick’s health began to decline in 2020. He enjoyed napping in the sunshine and eventually his time was spent inside. He still recognized family and loved ones and was cared for primarily by Jean. His family was so blessed to have loving friends, caregivers and support during these years.

Quoting from a condolence received “It was such an honor to witness your dad’s gumption for life. Happy and joyful and ready for anything. What a beautiful life.”