Richard A. Dick McKay
Richard A. “Dick” McKay passed away on May 29 at the age of 83. He will be sorely missed by all his family and friends.
Dick was born on June 10, 1928 in Port Huron, Mich., to Stewart Walter and Myrtelle McKay. Dick received all his of education in Michigan schools and was an accountant, auditor, and financial analyst. He worked as a Senior Operations Officer for Citicorp in commercial finance and traveled all over the country.
He served in the 5th Air Force and was stationed in Japan for three years. He was called back in the service for the U.S. Northeast Command and was stationed in Thule, Greenland.
Dick married Loretta Ann “Ret” Sauve on Oct. 6, 1951, and they had three children. They lived in Michigan, New York, and Illinois before retiring in 1987 on Swan Lake. They moved to Aspen Pointe in Bozeman in 2006 where their two daughters and four of their seven grandchildren lived.
He did a lot of volunteer work, especially in the churches in which he and Ret were members. He was council president, and treasurer, on numerous committees, and was very much involved in the financing and planning of four new churches. He was an officer and active member in the Swan Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Swan Lake Community Club.
Dick enjoyed golfing, fishing, boating, gardening, playing bridge, hunting, jigsaw puzzles, and cooking. He was famous for the peanut brittle and jam he made and sold, contributing the proceeds to the Employee’s Christmas Fund at Aspen Pointe.
He and Ret loved living on Swan Lake with all the lake activities, especially when kids and grandkids joined them. Dick was always the last one to bring in the fishing boat, and once had to chip away the ice from the boat.
Dick was a three-time cancer survivor, and he and Ret set up an endowment for kids with cancer at Eagle Mount.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years; daughter, Pamela Dunkle and husband Richard of Bozeman; daughter, Deborah “Bear” McKay of Bozeman; son, Alan of Wonder Lake, Ill.; a brother, Howard of Canada; sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; and many nieces and nephews. The seven beloved grandchildren are: Dustin Dunkle of Jessup, Md.; Ashley Dunkle McCray and husband Robert of Sheridan; Darcy and Kelly Buchanan of Bozeman; and Samantha, Benjamin, and Andrew “Chip” McKay of Wonder Lake, Ill.. Dick was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Sandy.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Birchwood, who made Dick’s life easier in his last months.
When Dick was well, he requested that there be no funeral services. There will be a private memorial at Swan Lake later this summer.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dok kennelson.com.