Richard A. "Dick" Seare

Richard A. Seare “Dick” was born in Davenport, Iowa on January 14, 1944, to Richard A. Seare and Marnell Jorgensen Seare Bradshaw. He was raised in Kearns, Utah and graduated from Granger High School in 1962. While attending the University of Utah, he was drafted to the United States Army and served overseas for two years in Germany.

After serving his country, he began his 40-year career as a Journeyman Electrician and later became certified in Instrumentation. He worked on large water infrastructure projects in Hawaii and California, and the oil fields of Canada and the Northern slope of Alaska.

His life changed the day that he met his wife Peggy. At 33 years old, he was enjoying a bachelor life. He saw the new red-head who moved in above his apartment with 3 young children, and infamously said, “I’m not touching that!” They were married six months later after laughing at many Saturday Night Live episodes and disco dancing in late 1970’s. Dick married Peggy on September 15, 1978 and later sealed in the Jordan River Temple on September 12, 1992. They just celebrated their 40th anniversary.

He loved the outdoors and instilled in his children a love for God’s creations, as manifested in the mountains, valleys and rivers of the beautiful Utah. He loved to fish and anything related to it. He especially enjoyed fly fishing, tying his own flies and eventually became a fly-tying instructor for the Great Western Fly Fishers Club. Twelve years ago, while driving to Canada for his annual fly-fishing trip with friends, he suffered a heart attack. On the way to surgery, he asked his doctor, “Can I still go on my fishing trip?”

He raised his family in West Valley City, Utah. He loved to take the family camping, especially to the Uintah’s and Granite Creek, Wyoming. Eventually, purchasing a trailer, he sought to discover every hidden fishing hole in Utah. He was known to wake up early and fish before breakfast and go out again at dusk.

He loved to help with Scout Camp. He was always happy to serve as the camp chef and passed that gene to his son, Greg. His favorite methodology of cooking was Dutch Ovens and later on his Traeger Grill. He would cook meals at Scout Camp that were gourmet and spoiled the Scouts and leaders with his culinary skills.

Dick was not a man to give a sermon. He was much more likely to simply serve others. He was always willing to help those who needed some electrical work done. It was a long list that was never ending. He was the type of person who would give a stranger the shirt off his back and was incredibly social. His family would inevitably roll their eyes, when in the middle of nowhere, he would run into people he knew. Even in Alaska and Hawaii, he found people he had not seen in decades and chat them up like no time had passed.

Papa Dick loved Peggy, his children and all of his family. He loved to tell jokes, especially those that were slightly inappropriate. He loved music, movies and using antiquated phrases. He was often harassed by his children, accusing him of being stuck in the 1960’s, when he broke out the phrases “far out” and “groovy.”

Dick is preceded in death by both parents; sister Irene Tautaeoli; and niece, Jackqulyn Hathaway; and father-in-law David Smit. Dick is survived by his wife Peggy; his children, Greg (Shannon) Seare, Traci (David) Bilbo, Heather (Jared) Suwai; sisters, Claudia (Dennis) Hiatt, Joan (the late Rick) Thornton, Susan (Kevin) Stevens; brothers, Steven Seare, Shaun (Missy) Seare, Nathan (Toetu) Seare; numerous nieces; and nephews; and 6 grandchildren that he adored and was so proud of.

Chief, Dad, Papa Dick, you will be sorely missed. We know that you are in a better place and that you can now tie flies with both hands working. Go have fun fishing with the Fisher of Men.

Services will be held on Saturday, December 22, 2018, 12:00 p.m., at the Riverton 16th Ward, 1208 W. 12400 South, Riverton, UT 84065. There will be a viewing prior at the same location from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Interment, Valley View Memorial Estates.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the VA Medical Center of Utah, www.saltlakecity.va.gov, who took exceedingly great care of Dick in his final years.

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