Obituary: Durgan, Richard “Dick”
Age 89
DURGAN, Richard “Dick”
(Age 89)
Dick Durgan was born in Spokane, WA on June 26, 1926, and passed away on April 3, 2016 in Mesquite, NV.
Growing up Dick attended St. Xavier Grade School and Gonzaga Prep in Spokane.
After school Dick’s passion in life was golf.
Dick grew up caddying and playing golf in his early years at Downriver Golf Course in Spokane.
Downriver was Dick’s favorite course.
Maybe because he had (3) holes in one there.
In addition Dick once held the course records at Downriver, Windermere, and Esmeralda.
While Dick was a great ball striker, it was Dick’s short game and his putting (which earned him the nickname “Putt-Putt”) that saved most his rounds.
While all the golf was going on, Dick was a loving husband to his wife Margaret, as well as a steady provider and influence for his family of eight children.
Dick was always smiling and often said “I had a good life.
Dick worked for the Railway Express Company for 10 years (often giving Bing Crosby lifts down to Gonzaga University) during his early morning round.
In 1988 after 35 years, Dick retired from the Washington Water Power as a member of the company’s Trailblazers.
Dick and Margaret were best friends and he was the love of her life.
Together they enjoyed traveling the world.
In later years, they wintered in St George, Utah, finally moving to Mesquite, NV in 2012 to live with their daughter, Susan Stowell.
Dick was always smiling and often said, “I had a good life.”
Dick was preceded in death by son James Joseph “Joe” Durgan.
Dick is survived by his wife of 54 years, Margaret V. Durgan and his children, Susan (Durgan) Stowell, Mike (Paula) Durgan, Janice (Rick) DeBeaumont, Colleen (Robert) McClure, Theresa (Steven) Lamp, Peggy Durgan and Lloyd Johnson, Molly (Durgan) Kenney.
Dick was (also) blessed with 19 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
The following closing words best describe our husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend ….
*Family was number one *Irish Catholic *Love of Golf
*A people person *Loved Gonzaga U. Basketball
His Celebration of Life will be held on April 29th at St. Charles Catholic Church, 4515 N. Alberta Street, Spokane at 3:00 PM.
A reception will follow at Downriver Golf Course beginning at 4:45 PM.