Dick Nihart
Dick Nihart
Dick Nihart was a winner in life and left this earth on Nov. 10, 2018, in Johnston, Iowa with his family by his side. He was 83 years old.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Fayette with Rev. Daniel Knipper officiating.
Burial will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Cemetery at a later date.
Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Fayette and for one hour preceding services at the church on Monday.
Memorials may be made in Richard’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Big Rock Country Club in Fayette.
Online condolences may be left at www.beckermilnesrettig.com.
Richard Loren Nihart, the son of George and Berneice (Hughes) Nihart Probst, was born on July 18, 1935, in St. Charles, Minn.
He graduated from St. Charles High School in 1953 and from Winona State University in 1960 with a major in science and a minor in physical education.
Richard served in the U.S. Army from September 1954 to August 1957.
Richard (Dick) was united in marriage to Marjorie Ann Tlougan on Jan. 31, 1956, in Winona, Minn.
The couple lived in Winona before moving to Rose Creek, Minn., where he taught and coached for three years.
In 1963 they moved to Fayette, Iowa, where Dick worked in various capacities for Fayette High School. During his tenure, he taught high school sciences, coached basketball, baseball, golf, football, and softball, and also served as athletic director.
Upon the completion of his master’s degree in administration from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colo., in 1970, Dick also served as an assistant principal for Fayette High School. When the merger of Fayette High School with North Fayette High School occurred, he served as athletic director for a couple years. He also taught junior high science. He retired in 1995.
Following his retirement, he worked for a few years at Upper Iowa University in Fayette as a student teacher advisor.
Dick was an avid sportsman, spending a lot of time fishing the many trout streams and rivers of northeast Iowa. He also played golf most days of the week. Among his other sporting activities, he attended and enjoyed many, many Upper Iowa athletic events, especially during his later years!
However, his biggest love was family. He so enjoyed getting to see his grandchildren and was their biggest fan and supporter. He also looked forward to any time his family would visit and had a lot of fun during golfing/fishing weekends with his sons. His advice to his family was to love each other more each day, and he lived that way, leading by example.
Dick was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie; his parents; and one sister, Carol O’Dell.
He is survived by his two sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren: Jeff and Charlene Nihart, of Ankeny, Iowa, and their sons, Adam of Ankeny, Aaron and wife Jayme of Sheldahl, Iowa; Dean and Janet Nihart of Johnston, Iowa, and their daughter, Amy, of Newport, Ky.; and one sister, Janet Campbell of St. Charles, Minn.