Richard "Dick" Geide Jr, 89, took the most amazing final flight of his lifetime on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, when he departed from earth at Wichita, Kansas and arrived at the home prepared for him in heaven.
Richard Jr (“Dick”) was born on June 16, 1931, in Binghamton, New York, to first-generation German immigrants. Dick was fascinated by flight from an early age. When he was a teenager, he cleaned airplane hangars at a community airport in exchange for flying lessons and flying time. He flew airplanes before he could even drive! On the ground, Dick preferred 2 wheels over 4. His first vehicle was a scooter. The motorcycle was his primary mode of transportation for almost 70 years.
Dick joined the U.S. Air Force after he graduated from high school. While he was home on leave in 1951, Dick and a friend went on a double-date, where Dick met his beautiful life partner, Sylvia Dillenbeck, but she was his friend’s date that evening. On their next date, Dick paired up with Sylvia. They were engaged soon after. They married on June 7, 1952, at Main Street Baptist Church in Binghamton, New York.
Dick worked as an Avionics and Equipment Mechanic and Tech Instructor at Miho Airforce Base in Japan during the Korean War. He serviced the aircraft between pilot bombing missions to Korea. After Dick was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1954, he and Sylvia moved to Angola, Indiana, where he studied Aeronautical Engineering at Tri-State University and graduated in the top of his class.
Dick and Sylvia had 4 children in 3 years! Their first child, Richard III (“Rick”), was born in Indiana in 1957. Three months after Rick’s birth, Dick moved his family to Wichita, Kansas, to work for Cessna Aircraft. After 18 months in Wichita, they were blessed with twin boys, Ray and Roy, and 13 months later, with a daughter, Diantha.
Dick worked as a Structural Engineer at Cessna for 32 years, until he retired in 1989. Dick loved his job; he often said, “I never worked a day in my life.” He played at work and worked at play! Dick worked hard at many interesting hobbies. His first love was flying. He designed and built 3 of his own airplanes: the Geide Headwind, the Geide Sport and the Geide Hawk. He helped many of his friends build their own airplanes and gliders as well. His creative accomplishments were published in aviation magazines and he consulted other aircraft enthusiasts from all over the country. He flew recreationally until two months before his death. He said he could think more clearly when he was in the air, closer to God. He loved to take his family and friends flying in his 2-person open-cockpit Geide Sport plane. If his passenger was smiling instead of white-knuckling the sides of the plane, he would do loop-to-loops and barrel rolls. He also designed and built his own radio-controlled airplanes, gliders, boomerangs and boonie bikes (wide-tire minibikes for his young children). Dick rode a motorcycle around town and on road trips until he was 83. He was active in Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA) and Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for most of his life. Dick also enjoyed windsurfing in his 60’s and 70’s, whistling, playing the harmonica, camping in tents, swimming, frisbees, nature, bird-watching, writing poetry, talking about the Wright Brothers, watching Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie, reading National Geographic magazines, reading through the Bible in a different translation every year, and eating butter pecan ice cream.
Dick and Sylvia were actively involved in church ministry. Dick worked with a church youth group, served as a deacon, led bible studies, sang in the choir, and worked in handicapped ministries. They attended Grace Baptist Church for 14 years (1958-1972), Messiah Baptist for 16 years (1973-1989), First Bible Baptist for 16 years (1989-2005), Celebration Baptist for 12 years (2005-2017), and Sharon Baptist for 3 years (2017-2020).
In retirement, Dick and Sylvia were “Winter Texans,” serving at Frontier Baptist Missions in the Rio Grande Valley at the border of Mexico and enjoying the beaches in South Padre Island.
Dick is now soaring through the heavens with his wife, Sylvia, his parents, Richard Sr and Anna Geide, and his sister, Rose Marie Bender.
Dick is survived by his SISTER: Ruth (Dick) Laman of San Diego, CA; 4 CHILDREN: Rick (Ruth) Geide of Piedmont SC, Ray (Gerlie) Geide of Wichita KS, Roy (Nona) Geide of Taylorsville KY, and Diantha (Doug) Cavin of Inver Grove Heights MN; 12 GRANDCHILDREN: (Rick’s son) Ryan (Grace) Geide of Taylors SC; (Ray’s kids) Anthony (Becca) Geide of Maricopa AZ, Jenny (Joe) Dinsmore of Wichita KS, Jessica Geide of Wichita KS; (Roy’s kids) Phillip Geide of Taylorsville KY, Crystal (Cooper) Labenski of Shenandoah Junction WV; (Diantha’s kids) Cassandra (Daniel) Doan of Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, Casey Cavin of Inver Grove Heights MN; (Nona’s kids) Bryan Varner of Louisville KY, Teresa (Steve) Bliven of Waxhaw NC, Allen Varner of Louisville KY, and Tessa Varner of Taylorsville KY; 13 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN: (Rick’s grandkids) James and Emma Geide of Taylors SC; (Ray’s grandkids) Amelia and Elliott Geide of Maricopa AZ; Wyatt Dinsmore of Wichita, KS; (Roy and Nona’s grandkids) Benjamin, Colton and Elliott Labenski of Shenandoah Junction WV; Matthew, Madeline, and Abby Bliven of Waxhaw NC; Dylan Varner of Louisville, KY; (Diantha’s granddaughter) Lydia Doan of Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Dick’s visitation will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2020, from 10:00 to 1:00 at Sharon Baptist Church, 2221 Oliver, Wichita, Kansas, 67218. The memorial service will be held at 1:00. Social distancing and face masks are required. An escorted procession will follow the memorial, to White Chapel Memorial Gardens, 1806 N. Oliver, Wichita, Kansas. Flowers, cards and/or memorials may be sent to Sharon Baptist Church.
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