Ronald Joseph Richter

Ronald Joseph Richter, 88, passed away peacefully at home November 2nd in Rochester, Minnesota. Ron is survived by his wife Marge (Morse), three children, Joan Powers, Tom and Tim Richter, their spouses, Mike, Ellen (Lyons) and Barb (Melby), two grandchildren Timothy Joshua Richter and Hannah Nicole Richter, brother Jack Richter and sister Loretta Richter. He was preceded in death by his parents John and Martha, brothers Eugene, Daniel and William and sister Mary Ann. Ron was born January 8, 1933, in the Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota. He attended both Cotter and Winona Senior High Schools, graduating from WSHS in 1950. Ron married Marge November 22, 1952 and was a devoted husband for nearly 69 years. Ron's hallmark was a strong work ethic formed in his youth when he helped his dad clean schools, handled bags at the railroad depot, delivered ice and groceries, served as an altar boy, worked summers on area farms and as he got older at a bakery and brewery. He attended Winona State Teachers College leaving early to join the Winona city police force in 1953. After completing specialized training at the University of Minnesota, Ron was promoted to sergeant and specialized in juvenile delinquency within the department. Ron left the police force to become a Special Investigative Agent for the Burlington Railroad in 1967 and was transferred to Illinois working in the Quad Cities and Aurora areas residing in Rock Island and Oswego between 1967 - 1971. Ron left law enforcement in 1971 and began a long management career working for several regional and national trucking companies. During his 25-years in the transportation industry Ron lived in the Chicagoland communities of Romeoville, Joliet, and Westmont. In 1996, Ron retired to Oswego to be closer to his grandchildren and eventually returned to Rochester in his home state in 2006. From his teenage years through adulthood, Ron was an outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed camping, hunting, and fishing. An avid water-fowler, Ron especially liked duck hunting canvasbacks, woodies, and teal in the Weaver Bottoms area of Wabasha County, Minnesota. An accomplished athlete in high school and college, Ron loved spectator sports spending inordinate amounts of time alternately cheering and bemoaning the fate of the Minnesota Twins, Vikings, and Golden Gophers. Ron went to his great reward never knowing the answer to his question of why Joe Mauer took so many first pitches for strikes, why the Vikes couldn't win the Super Bowl or the Gophers the Rose Bowl. Above all else, through parenting and his police work helping juveniles, Ron loved kids. He was a devoted family man who invested his heart and soul in his children's and grandchildren's interests and activities, either playing, teaching, coaching, encouraging, or attending. Post retirement he continued working with kids through jobs in parks and recreation and spending 13 years as an elementary school crossing guard. Ron was a man with a big heart and a great sense of humor. He loved history, particularly the American West, Civil War and World War II and he had a library of books to prove it. Finally, he had an unequivocal "Uncle Wiggly" spirit of adventure that inspired him to travel and explore landmarks, museums, monuments, as well as mainstream and little-known points of interest and eating establishments from coast to coast. A private family celebration of Ron's life will be held in the near future. At this time, no public visitation or service is planned. In honor of Ron, donations to Ducks Unlimited or The Salvation Army would be appreciated.