Richard Francis Korth

Richard Francis Korth, originally of Mankato, Minnesota, and recently of Buckeye, Arizona, passed away in Phoenix on April 1, 2020 of complications related to squamous cell carcinoma. His passing followed an eleven-year perseverance against advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

A fiercely devoted husband and father, he lived for his family with an unwavering commitment to protect and nurture those he loved. He brought joy and laughter to everyone around him.

Rich attended grade school at SS Peter and Paul’s Parish in Mankato and is a graduate of Loyola High School. Rich was a member of the St. Claire of Assisi Parish in Surprise, Arizona.

He proudly followed his father’s footsteps by volunteering in the US Armed Forces to serve his country. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the US Navy in 1966 and served as a hospital corpsman on the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) until his honorable discharge in 1970. He was the recipient of the Vietnam Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the National Defense Medal. A highlight of his service was the recovery of the Apollo 8 spacecraft following its splashdown in the North Pacific Ocean on December 27, 1968. He was a member of the VFW since 1974: Post 950 (Mankato, Minnesota) and Post 1433 (Glendale, Arizona).

He attended the Mankato Area Vocational Technical School where he found his calling in the brave new world of computer programming in the late 1970s. He retired in 2004 after 23 years as a computer programmer at Donaldson Company in Bloomington, Minnesota.

An avid bowler since childhood, Rich loved competing in ABC and Petersen tournaments, organizing tournaments, and serving as a dedicated coach to youth leagues. He humbly accepted induction into the Mankato Bowling Hall of Fame in 2011. Having been introduced to the sport by his father, he passed the legacy on to his own daughters, teaching them the sport at the ages of 4 and 5. He was fiercely loyal to the Minnesota Twins, and loved few things more than a card game played with friends and family.

Rich’s survivors include his wife of 35 years, Helbe (nee Perandi), son Scott (Jackie nee Janssen), grandchildren Jacob and Sarah, daughters Lisa (Lance Burlingame) and Niki; brother Tom Korth (Becky nee Ziemer) of Mankato, sisters Mary Meisel (Steve) of Woodbury and Theresa Shores (Bill) of St. Peter, MN. He is pre-deceased by his mother Frances Clare Korth (nee King) and his father Francis Lawrence Korth of Mankato, Minnesota.

A private funeral mass will be held at St. Claire of Assisi Parish on Monday April 6th, preceded by a visitation at the Surprise Funeral Home (Surprise, Arizona). Interment will be at National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix. A memorial service/celebration of life will be held in the summer/fall in Minnesota, details to-be-determined as the COVID-19 situation resolves.

Remembrances may be made in the form of flowers for the caregivers at Sherman Home Hospice or Mayo Clinic Hospital (ICU or 5-West) in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rich’s infectious laugh, smile, kindness, independent spirit, and humor will endure in the hearts of all who knew him. He is greatly missed.