Allen Richard "Dick" Tourangeau

Dick was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 30, 1929, to Norma Allen and Alfred Tourangeau. Dick’s father passed away in 1932 in a canoeing accident when Dick was three years old. Dick and his two brothers, Alfred (born in 1926) and Robin (born in 1930), were raised during the depression with a hard-working mother and no father. At times during the depression Dick and his brothers had to be housed with various relatives, and for a spell were in a boarding school in North Dakota, while their mother worked in Minneapolis. The lack of a father and male role model was difficult for the boys and affected each of them in different ways for the rest of their lives. Dick was astute and resourceful, and learned how to be a man and eventually a father from various men that went in and out of his life, and also from his wife, Patricia, and her very full family and solid father, Carl Mickelson (Grand Rapids, MN).

Dick graduated from Mound High School, MN (1948), the University of St. Thomas, MN (1952), and then became a commissioned officer in the U.S Army serving in a MASH hospital unit (1952-1955). Dick attended Stanford Law School (1956) and graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law (1958), and practiced law in Carmel, CA, from 1958 to 1996, where Dick and Patricia raised their family of four children. Dick and Patricia retired to Hamilton, Montana, in 1996, and lived happily in Montana for twenty-five years.

Dick lived a very full life during his 95 years, and always included his wife, his family, and many friends in that full life. He was gregarious and pleasant, and loved activity, athletics, being outdoors, and his friends. He was a risk taker and loved the thrill of an adventure. He worked on ore boats on the Great Lakes in high school, worked at logging outfits in the north woods during college, and played football and ran track in high school and college. Dick was an avid skier and taught his kids to ski at a young age; he played tennis and taught his kids to play tennis; he was a private pilot of small and aerobatic planes, and shared flying (as well as stunts and low-altitude sightseeing) with family and many friends, and taught both his sons to fly. He hiked and backpacked with his family and friends in the Sierras and the Rockies, and traveled with Patricia to Baja, CA, Europe, and around the United States. His flying exploits are numerous, and both auspicious and, at times, inauspicious. Let’s just say that Dick spent all his “nine lives” over the course of those 95 years, with the ninth being on July 14, 2024. Dick had a full life, not without its challenges and tragedies – it was a life well-lived.

Dick was predeceased by his wife of 69 years, Patricia (born Mickelson, 1932), who passed away in 2020 while they were living in Helena, Montana, their son, Todd Tourangeau, who passed away in California in 1974, and their grandson, Daniel Moran, who passed away in California in 2022. Dick is survived by his daughter Lisse Telfer (and Alan Telfer, Monterey, CA), daughter Amy Moran (and Jim Moran, St. Paul, MN), and son Paul Tourangeau (and Kristen Tourangeau, Denver, CO), and four grandchildren (Kevin Moran and Meghan Ward (Moran), both in St. Paul, MN, Perrin Tourangeau, Denver, CO, and Eva Tourangeau, Paris).

The family thanks Merrill Gardens of Monterey and the Monterey VNA Hospice for their care and support in the last period of Dick’s life. They were so compassionate and gracious to our father during this last period of his life.

The immediate family will memorialize Dick’s (and Pat’s) life in a private family gathering, and will not hold a public service. Those who might wish to commemorate Dick’s life might consider planting a tree in his name.

Should you have a fun memory or experience with Dick to share, please feel free to provide it in the memories/comments section of the memorial web page.