Richard Leroy Hautekeete

Richard LeRoy Hautekeete, 81, of Williamsburg, previously of Marengo and Grinnell, died at home on December 2, 2022 from prostate cancer attributed to Agent Orange exposure.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, December 9, 2022 at First Lutheran Church, Conroy, with Pastor Tim Miller and Reverend Zach Bey officiating. Military honors will be conducted. Inurnment will be at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel at a later date. Visitation will be Thursday evening, December 8, from 4-6pm at Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo. A memorial fund has been established.

Richard (Dick) was born on August 6, 1941 at home near Rose Hill, Iowa, the youngest of five children to Alfons Ernest and Mary (Jackson) Hautekeete. Raised on a farm near Malcom, he graduated from Montezuma High School in 1960. He was an electrician before serving in the Army from 1967 to 1969. Richard, known as Rich or Sarge to his platoon members, served as a SSgt in Bravo Company, First Battalion, Fifth Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), 25 ^th Infantry Division in Vietnam from July 1968 to July 1969. He was awarded an Army Commendation for Heroism, two purple hearts, five bronze stars (four with “V” device for heroism), and a Presidential Unit Citation.

After he managed Penrose Lumber in Grinnell for several years, Dick and his wife Sherry owned and operated Marengo Lumber Company for 20 years. They went on to operate the Orange Julius stores in Cedar Rapids for 10 years. Not one to stay idle, Dick then worked as a TSA officer at the Eastern Iowa Airport before retiring.

Dick served the city of Marengo as a council member and mayor for 10 years. He was a member of the Marengo Library Board, American Legion Post 76, Marengo Lions Club, and First Lutheran Church of Conroy. Dick enjoyed hunting, gardening, and spending time with his family.

Dick is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sherry, his children Jeffery (Dawn Barbour) of Guernsey, Richard (Larissa) of Olivette, MO, Shelley (Ron) Mockler of Tiffin, Bradley (Cindi) of Centennial, CO, and Alan (Valene) of Norwalk, grandchildren Michael, Samantha, Aaron, Cordelia, James, Vanessa, Ellis, and Adam Hautekeete, great-grandchildren Christopher and Leslie, sisters Arlene (John) Reimers and Fern (Franklin) Reimers, sister-in-law Charlotte Hall and husband Mike, many nieces and nephews, and his brother in arms William H. Dennies.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Anna Stone, brother Alfons, father-in-law Donald Godfrey, mother-in-law Martha Godfrey, sister-in-law Marilyn Brown, and brother-in-law Kerry Godfrey, along with many brothers in arms. “ May they live forever in the likeness of their souls.” (Dick wrote this in the Bible that he carried while in Vietnam)

Dick’s family thanks the staff from the Iowa City VA Oncology department and Essence of Life Hospice for their care and support.