Richard Henry Rindels

Funeral service for Richard Rindels will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 10, 2018 at Trinity Lutheran Church with Pastor Jared Tucher officiating; interment to follow at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Richard (Dick) Henry Rindels, aged 92, died peacefully at his home in Gillette, Wyoming on February 2, 2018, loved and surrounded by his wife of 66 years and his many children and grandchildren. Richard was born on October 14, 1925 in Bijou Hills, South Dakota to Henry and Bonibel (Burr) Rindels. During the Great Depression, his family, including sisters Gladys, Dorothy and Marjorie, moved to El Monte, California where he graduated from high school in 1943. Richard was a WWII veteran who trained as a field artillery forward observer before deployment to the Philippines, where he served until demobilization in 1946. He was proud to have served his country during wartime, and privileged to have visited the WWII monument in Washington, D.C. as part of the Honor Flight program. Richard graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. He married his college sweetheart Jean Margaret Sladek in Mitchell, South Dakota in 1951. Richard and Jean spent more than a decade building their family farm near Mitchell where their children were born. After joining the Federal Land Bank Association, Richard moved to Wyoming in 1965 and subsequently managed the FLBA’s Worland, Kemmerer, and Gillette offices. He was the owner and managing broker of Boardwalk Real Estate in Gillette for many years, and was recognized for his years of leadership and service to the citizens of Gillette and Campbell County. Richard and Jean spent more than 20 years as “snowbirds” in Mesa, Arizona, where they enjoyed many close friendships. Richard was a civic-minded member of the Greatest Generation who rendered a lifetime of service to his community and state as a leader of numerous civic organizations and professional associations. He was a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America’s Silver Beaver award for council-level distinguished service, and the proud father of four Eagle Scouts. Richard was an active and devoted member of Trinity Lutheran Church for 42 years. Richard had more hobbies and interests than he had time to complete. He was an avid reader; built intricate powered scale-model flying aircraft and skillfully rebuilt many others for enthusiasts who endured flying mishaps; was a talented and award-winning painter; and a highly skilled woodworker and woodcarver. He was always interested in others and relished conversation with new and old friends. Richard lived his life with good-natured optimism, enthusiasm, curiosity, and a lifelong passion for learning. Richard is preceded in death by his parents; infant son, Douglas Paul Rindels; and sister, Dorothy. In addition to his wife, Jean; he is survived by son, Mark and his wife Yvette and children Ryan, Michele and Matt; son, Brian and his wife Linda and children Lauren, Allison and Benjamin; son, Dean and his wife Alisa and children Kara and Curtis;  daughter, Beth Scott and her husband Ken and children Roland, Eric, Jacob and Sarah; son, Charles (Chuck) and his wife Marjorie and children Emma and Anna; and daughter, Jane Otts and her husband Phillip and children Olivia and Henry. He is also survived by six great-grandchildren. Richard’s children were blessed to have the best father that a child could ever hope for. He was an exemplary role model; a conscientious and devoted husband; a friend and mentor to many; and a hardworking, patient and loving father who lived his life with great honesty, integrity, character and dignity. Richard had a strong Christian faith and loved his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His faith provided the basis for his hope and confidence that this earth was just his temporary home. The family would like to thank the members of Hospice Home for their support of Richard during his final days, and to express their love and gratitude to their sister Beth for her help and loving care of their parents for many years. In Richard’s memory, the family would appreciate in lieu of flowers donations to the Council of Community Services (ccsgillette.org) or the Heptner Cancer Center at Campbell County Memorial Hospital (cchwyo.org). Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Gillette Memorial Chapel 210 West 5th Street, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be expressed at www.gillettememorialchapel.com