|
|
Richard (Dick) Buchheit, 86, of Grand Marais, Minnesota, died June 23, 2021, at North Shore Care Center in Grand Marais.
Dick was born September 18, 1934, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Frank and Lola Buchheit. He enjoyed playing football and basketball while in high school at St. Louis Park High School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. He played football at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and was a defensive tackle on the undefeated and untied team that won the 1954 Midwest Conference Championship, a feat of which he was very proud. He was approached in November 1955 by the Chicago Cardinals Football Club to enter the 1956 National Football League draft. Instead, Dick pursued his master’s degree at the University of Minnesota after earning his Bachelor of Science in Geology at Carleton. Dick attained the rank of Eagle Scout while in high school and passed on his knowledge to his two sons by helping them over many years to acquire the life skills needed to earn their own Scout ranks. He enjoyed working as a volunteer hockey coach for the Pee Wee and Bantam hockey teams the boys played on during their time in Billings, Montana.
Dick joined the U.S. Army and went to Fort Leonard Wood where he ultimately served in the Reserves until being discharged to start his career as an Exploration Geologist with the New Jersey Zinc Company. Dick was an avid “rock picker” whose profession took him into the remote bush country of Northern Canada, the red rocks of the Southwest, the coal mines of Pennsylvania, and ultimately the Land of Minnesota’s 10,000 Lakes where he finished his career as the Owner and CEO of Eveleth Fee Office in Eveleth, Minnesota, retiring in 2000. He was a talker and enjoyed sharing his knowledge with anyone who would listen.
It was at the Happy Jack Uranium mine in Southeast Utah in 1961 where he met Nedetta (“Detta”) Pinder, the daughter of a dryland pinto bean farmer from Dove Creek, Colorado. They were married on March 4, 1962, and soon started their family. Many moves and three children later, they eventually settled into retirement, splitting their time between the Pinder homestead in Colorado and their lake home near Grand Marais. He continued to live in their lake home after Detta passed away in 2013 and only left this past April when he entered the North Shore Care Center due to his health issues.
Dick was preceded in death by his bride of 51 years, Detta (Pinder) Buchheit, father and mother Frank Buchheit and Lola (Szuszitzky) Buchheit, and his younger brother Paul Buchheit. He is survived by sons Jon Buchheit, Scott (Cheryl) Buchheit, and daughter Sheila Buchheit, grandchildren Michaela (Sean) Trevithick, Zachary Buchheit, Matthew Buchheit, and Trevor Wilson, and great-granddaughter Emilia Trevithick, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A small graveside service will be announced and held at a later date. Dick was an avid curler and played league and in many bonspiels at the Cook County Curling Club in the late 60s and early 70s. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memoriam to the Club, or to the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Grand Marais.
Leave a Reply