1939
Richard
2010
Richard Dean Sturgeon
November 23, 1939 — August 13, 2010
SIOUX CITY -- Richard "Dick" Dean Sturgeon, 70, of Sioux City died Friday, Aug. 13, 2010, following a courageous battle with lung cancer.
Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Westlawn Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., with Pastor Paul Speidel and the Rev. Tess Panamarow officiating, at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to christysmith.com.
Dick was born Nov. 23, 1939, in Sioux City, to Ralph and Thelma (Bower) Sturgeon. Dick grew up in Sioux City's South Bottoms and later in southern Morningside. Dick was united in marriage to Delores Helen Rupe on Oct. 25, 1958. He and Delores raised their family in the Leeds area, and with the exception of two years spent in Greenfield, Mass., Dick lived his entire life in Sioux City.
Dick worked at the Armour packing plant until its closure and was then hired as a drill press operator at Sioux Tools (then Albertsons) in 1962. He was made union steward with the Machinists Union, elected to the shop committee and then shop chairman. He served as the recording secretary for Local 1426 and later as president of the local. In December of 1968, he was elected as business representative and took office in January of 1969, where he served as business representative and directing business representative until 1985, when the Sioux City office closed.
He served the members of the Machinists Union as a representative on several boards and commissions, including the Boys Club, Skyway Commissions, Woodbury Labor Council, Iowa State Council for Machinists and the Midwest Council of Machinists. He was the recording secretary for the Iowa State Council of Machinists. He worked for the Smith & Smith law office from 1985 until the fall of 1989. He worked two years for the U.E. Union in the New England states. He worked for Attorney Al Sturgeon from 1991 to 1999 and the Carter Law Firm from 1990 to 2003, handling labor matters.
Since 1991, Dick served as a workers' advocate for a non-profit organization he created called Workers Have Rights Too. Dick retired in 2006 after helping thousands of workers. He was a strong voice for workers and received the War Eagle Award given by the Sioux City Human Rights Commission. After retirement Dick worked part-time for the city of Sioux City as an usher and door guard at the Tyson Events Center and the Sioux City Convention Center. He was a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels and served meals at the Mid-Town Community Center. He was a volunteer board member of the Mary J. Treglia Community House. The Sioux City Council appointed Dick to the Environmental Advisory Board in April of 2010. He was very active in the Democratic Party.
He was a member of Westlawn Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and an elder. He was responsible for the thought-provoking and oftentimes humorous messages on the church sign located at the corner of West 4th and Casselman Streets. Dick devoted his entire life to helping others. While raising two daughters and two sons, he and his wife were foster parents to a lot of really great kids. Together they also taught first aid to many Scouts and operated many first aid stations.
Dick is survived by his wife, Delores; daughters, Dee Sturgeon and Denise (Earl) Scott, all of Sioux City; sons, Mark (Brenda) Sturgeon of Le Mars, Iowa, and Michael Sturgeon of Akron, Iowa; grandchildren, Brian Sturgeon, Amanda (Adam) Heitritter, Atosha Sturgeon, Ryan Sturgeon, Nathan Sturgeon, Samantha Sturgeon and Brenna Scott; great-grandchildren, Hailey and Makenzi Sturgeon, Stacie and Autumn Heitritter and Lexi Sturgeon. He is also survived by brothers, Lee (Dale) Sturgeon, John (Diana) Sturgeon and Marlin Sturgeon; sisters, Thelma Kay Forsling and Belva Jean (Larry) Pridie; mother-in-law, Delores Rupe; brothers-in-law, Don (Cathy) Rupe, Bob (Carol) Rupe and Jim (Rita) Rupe; sister-in-law, Inez Rupe; and his special friends, Mabel and Harvey.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Thelma Sturgeon; father-in-law, Alan Rupe; brothers-in-law, John (Butch) Rupe and Glen Rupe; sister-in-law, Mary Rupe; and his grandson, Kyle Lindahl.
Memorials may be directed in Dick's name to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Siouxland and Relay for Life.
Services will be 10 a.m. Thursday at Westlawn Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation with the family present will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., with Pastor Paul Speidel and the Rev. Tess Panamarow officiating, at Morningside Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent to christysmith.com.
Dick was born Nov. 23, 1939, in Sioux City, to Ralph and Thelma (Bower) Sturgeon. Dick grew up in Sioux City's South Bottoms and later in southern Morningside. Dick was united in marriage to Delores Helen Rupe on Oct. 25, 1958. He and Delores raised their family in the Leeds area, and with the exception of two years spent in Greenfield, Mass., Dick lived his entire life in Sioux City.
Dick worked at the Armour packing plant until its closure and was then hired as a drill press operator at Sioux Tools (then Albertsons) in 1962. He was made union steward with the Machinists Union, elected to the shop committee and then shop chairman. He served as the recording secretary for Local 1426 and later as president of the local. In December of 1968, he was elected as business representative and took office in January of 1969, where he served as business representative and directing business representative until 1985, when the Sioux City office closed.
He served the members of the Machinists Union as a representative on several boards and commissions, including the Boys Club, Skyway Commissions, Woodbury Labor Council, Iowa State Council for Machinists and the Midwest Council of Machinists. He was the recording secretary for the Iowa State Council of Machinists. He worked for the Smith & Smith law office from 1985 until the fall of 1989. He worked two years for the U.E. Union in the New England states. He worked for Attorney Al Sturgeon from 1991 to 1999 and the Carter Law Firm from 1990 to 2003, handling labor matters.
Since 1991, Dick served as a workers' advocate for a non-profit organization he created called Workers Have Rights Too. Dick retired in 2006 after helping thousands of workers. He was a strong voice for workers and received the War Eagle Award given by the Sioux City Human Rights Commission. After retirement Dick worked part-time for the city of Sioux City as an usher and door guard at the Tyson Events Center and the Sioux City Convention Center. He was a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels and served meals at the Mid-Town Community Center. He was a volunteer board member of the Mary J. Treglia Community House. The Sioux City Council appointed Dick to the Environmental Advisory Board in April of 2010. He was very active in the Democratic Party.
He was a member of Westlawn Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and an elder. He was responsible for the thought-provoking and oftentimes humorous messages on the church sign located at the corner of West 4th and Casselman Streets. Dick devoted his entire life to helping others. While raising two daughters and two sons, he and his wife were foster parents to a lot of really great kids. Together they also taught first aid to many Scouts and operated many first aid stations.
Dick is survived by his wife, Delores; daughters, Dee Sturgeon and Denise (Earl) Scott, all of Sioux City; sons, Mark (Brenda) Sturgeon of Le Mars, Iowa, and Michael Sturgeon of Akron, Iowa; grandchildren, Brian Sturgeon, Amanda (Adam) Heitritter, Atosha Sturgeon, Ryan Sturgeon, Nathan Sturgeon, Samantha Sturgeon and Brenna Scott; great-grandchildren, Hailey and Makenzi Sturgeon, Stacie and Autumn Heitritter and Lexi Sturgeon. He is also survived by brothers, Lee (Dale) Sturgeon, John (Diana) Sturgeon and Marlin Sturgeon; sisters, Thelma Kay Forsling and Belva Jean (Larry) Pridie; mother-in-law, Delores Rupe; brothers-in-law, Don (Cathy) Rupe, Bob (Carol) Rupe and Jim (Rita) Rupe; sister-in-law, Inez Rupe; and his special friends, Mabel and Harvey.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Thelma Sturgeon; father-in-law, Alan Rupe; brothers-in-law, John (Butch) Rupe and Glen Rupe; sister-in-law, Mary Rupe; and his grandson, Kyle Lindahl.
Memorials may be directed in Dick's name to the American Cancer Society, Hospice of Siouxland and Relay for Life.
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