Richard D. Hendee
January 8, 1941 (Elgin, IL) - September 8, 2016 (Springfield, IL)
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Parents: Ralph Dale Hendee and Ruth Lane Hendee
Spouse: Roberta L. Hendee Children: David R. Hendee, Douglas J. Hendee, Allison L. Potaczek, Adrienne L. Jacobson High School Attended: Barrington, IL College Attended: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Post Graduate School: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Occupation: Computer, technology and telecommunications administrator |
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Obituary:
Richard Dale Hendee 1941 - 2016
Richard Dale Hendee, 75, of Springfield, passed away at 12:22 a.m. on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at Memorial Medical Center after a wonderful life and a four-year battle with cancer. He was a man full of life and will be dearly missed.
Dick was born January 8, 1941 in Elgin, the son of Ralph Dale and Ruth Lane Hendee. He grew up in Barrington, IL and graduated in 1959 from Barrington High School where he excelled in academics and sports, and also began his lifelong commitment to hard work and living life with zest. Dick went on to earn both a BS and MS from Southern Illinois University—Carbondale and worked for SIU while he began raising his two sons, Dave and Doug. Dick was a consultant with Robert Davis Associates from 1973 until 1976, when he began working for SIU School of Medicine in Springfield and married Roberta "Bert" Black with whom he would enjoy 40 amazing years of marriage. Dick and Bert added daughters, Allison and Adrienne, to the family and seeing the four kids grow and thrive gave Dick the greatest pleasure. His job included traveling, which may have ignited his enjoyment of visiting new places and trying new foods (the recipes for which he would bring home and master). It also gave him many reasons to take beautiful pictures— a skill that was self-taught and remained a regular hobby and side-business for him.
During his tenure at SIU School of Medicine, Dick helped to change the landscape of computing and telecommunications processes. He enjoyed working hard, but he was also grateful for the opportunity to retire in 1996 and to spend even more time with his family and on the projects he created at home. Dick was bright and industrious and was always solving a problem, creating a system, or tinkering. He was driven and ambitious and believed hard work should be the norm and not the exception, but he also loved enjoying the life he had been given. It always seemed that there was nothing he could not master. Even fighting multiple diseases and enduring many surgeries over 30 years, he always went home and seemed to get that much stronger. We are thankful for the many doctors, nurses, and technicians who would know him by name and by laugh, and who truly gave us the gift of each year with him. Although this time he didn't get back to his favorite place at his house—the backyard, we know that the home he is in now is just as beautiful and peaceful.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Ruth Hendee and his sister, Margaret Hendee Belyea.
He leaves behind his best friend and wife, Roberta Black Hendee; his brother, John (Anita) Hendee of Sun City West, AZ; his children, David (Rachel) Hendee of Villa Rica, GA; Douglas Hendee of Godfrey, IL; Allison Potaczek (Chris) of Park Ridge, IL; and Adrienne Jacobson (Jon) of Springfield, IL. He also leaves behind who he would call the best five grandkids in the world: Justin Hendee (18), Maggie (7), Ellie (5) & Grace (2) Potaczek, and Landon Jacobson (6); brother-in-law, Paul Belyea; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial Gathering & Ceremony: The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 S. Walnut, Springfield. A Memorial Ceremony will follow at 12:00 p.m. with Rev. Allison Lundeen officiating.
Inurnment will follow at Westminster Presbyterian Columbarium.
Because Dick and Bert have been served so well by doctors, surgeons, nurses, and new developments in the medical field, they ask that in lieu of flowers memorials be sent to: SIU Foundation - Simmons Cancer Institute Research at SIU, P.O. Box 19666, Springfield, IL 62794 or the Nursing Excellence Fund at Memorial Medical Center Foundation, Mail Code #61, 701 N. 1st Street, Springfield, IL 62781.
Published in The State Journal-Register on Sept. 11, 2016
Richard Dale Hendee 1941 - 2016
Richard Dale Hendee, 75, of Springfield, passed away at 12:22 a.m. on Thursday, September 8, 2016 at Memorial Medical Center after a wonderful life and a four-year battle with cancer. He was a man full of life and will be dearly missed.
Dick was born January 8, 1941 in Elgin, the son of Ralph Dale and Ruth Lane Hendee. He grew up in Barrington, IL and graduated in 1959 from Barrington High School where he excelled in academics and sports, and also began his lifelong commitment to hard work and living life with zest. Dick went on to earn both a BS and MS from Southern Illinois University—Carbondale and worked for SIU while he began raising his two sons, Dave and Doug. Dick was a consultant with Robert Davis Associates from 1973 until 1976, when he began working for SIU School of Medicine in Springfield and married Roberta "Bert" Black with whom he would enjoy 40 amazing years of marriage. Dick and Bert added daughters, Allison and Adrienne, to the family and seeing the four kids grow and thrive gave Dick the greatest pleasure. His job included traveling, which may have ignited his enjoyment of visiting new places and trying new foods (the recipes for which he would bring home and master). It also gave him many reasons to take beautiful pictures— a skill that was self-taught and remained a regular hobby and side-business for him.
During his tenure at SIU School of Medicine, Dick helped to change the landscape of computing and telecommunications processes. He enjoyed working hard, but he was also grateful for the opportunity to retire in 1996 and to spend even more time with his family and on the projects he created at home. Dick was bright and industrious and was always solving a problem, creating a system, or tinkering. He was driven and ambitious and believed hard work should be the norm and not the exception, but he also loved enjoying the life he had been given. It always seemed that there was nothing he could not master. Even fighting multiple diseases and enduring many surgeries over 30 years, he always went home and seemed to get that much stronger. We are thankful for the many doctors, nurses, and technicians who would know him by name and by laugh, and who truly gave us the gift of each year with him. Although this time he didn't get back to his favorite place at his house—the backyard, we know that the home he is in now is just as beautiful and peaceful.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Dale and Ruth Hendee and his sister, Margaret Hendee Belyea.
He leaves behind his best friend and wife, Roberta Black Hendee; his brother, John (Anita) Hendee of Sun City West, AZ; his children, David (Rachel) Hendee of Villa Rica, GA; Douglas Hendee of Godfrey, IL; Allison Potaczek (Chris) of Park Ridge, IL; and Adrienne Jacobson (Jon) of Springfield, IL. He also leaves behind who he would call the best five grandkids in the world: Justin Hendee (18), Maggie (7), Ellie (5) & Grace (2) Potaczek, and Landon Jacobson (6); brother-in-law, Paul Belyea; and many nieces and nephews.
Memorial Gathering & Ceremony: The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 533 S. Walnut, Springfield. A Memorial Ceremony will follow at 12:00 p.m. with Rev. Allison Lundeen officiating.
Inurnment will follow at Westminster Presbyterian Columbarium.
Because Dick and Bert have been served so well by doctors, surgeons, nurses, and new developments in the medical field, they ask that in lieu of flowers memorials be sent to: SIU Foundation - Simmons Cancer Institute Research at SIU, P.O. Box 19666, Springfield, IL 62794 or the Nursing Excellence Fund at Memorial Medical Center Foundation, Mail Code #61, 701 N. 1st Street, Springfield, IL 62781.
Published in The State Journal-Register on Sept. 11, 2016