Richard "Dick" A. Rengers

Richard "Dick" A. Rengers Sr. was born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 28, 1943, to parents Edmund A. and Lucille Brown-Rengers. He was the youngest of seven children and grew up poor near the city dump. Much of his childhood life was difficult from meager provisions and being picked on by older siblings. After graduating from North Catholic High School in 1961, with limited choices, he volunteered to join the Army. He successfully completed the Airborne Course at Fort Benning, GA in March 1962. Later, after being stationed in the U.S. Army base in the Ryukyu Islands, APO33, he had earned a place with the U.S. Army Special Forces as a Green Beret as Private 1st Class E3 and with the 539th Engineering Detachment and the U.S. Army Mobility Support Center March 1, 1963. He was then sent to the Central Highlands of Vietnam to train the indigenous Mountain Tribes to combat the Viet Cong and Communism as part of an earlier directive given by President John F. Kennedy. After serving abroad, he remained in the Reserves until he was Honorably Discharged on August 31, 1967.

After returning home from active service, he met, courted, and married Cathleen Rose Palka on January 29, 1966, in Pittsburgh, PA. Together they had six children in order of birth - Colleen Ann, Richard Jr., Christopher Alexander, Jeanette Cathleen, John Patrick, and lastly Angela Joy who was 17 years junior from the oldest sibling. The oldest three siblings were born in Pittsburgh, PA. In September 1972, the family relocated to Elkton, MD due to a job relocation with Dupont in Wilmington, DE in Chemical Logistics. The younger three siblings were born and raised here. He was employed with Dupont for 33 years until his retirement. He is survived by all those mentioned above along with 15 great grandchildren.

During the family and child raising years, he exhibited great efforts of dedication and sacrifice. It was his utmost determination to provide the family and children with better life opportunities than he had in his youth. Without any direction or foreknowledge of how, he did his very best to make our lives happy, keep us modestly well clothed, and fed on one income. It was learned in later years that he would sell his rare AB- blood for $30 a pint to make ends meet. At times he was a strict disciplinarian, but he would also exhibit great compassion and understanding when required. His personal sole mission was to raise his children to be respectful, truthful, educated, honorable, independent, hardworking and self-­ reliant. He often spoke of simple wisdom. proverbs, had sayings for us to prepare us for a world that can be often unforgiving - "pay yourself first", "a good reputation is better than fine gold", "there is no such thing as a free lunch - someone is always paying", "don't judge others too harshly; you don't know what problems they have and are dealing with", "never say can't" and most importantly, to "trust in GOD".

Richard "Dick" A. Rengers Sr. had several defining characteristics - his honesty, compassion, loyalty to family and children, the rarity to curse or speak poorly of others (even when angry), the ease of which he engaged and spoke to others, and mostly, his giving of his time and energy to help his children, friends and neighbors. His Love Language was unquestionably his Acts of Service. He constantly helped his children, friends, and neighbors with any project in the home, car, plumbing, carpentry, electric, etc. - just fill in the blank. He was always helping us and others, almost to a fault.

After retiring, he and mom relocated to Castle Rock, CO in 2005 in time for the first grandchildren Over the next decade, one-by-one of his children moved away from the East Coast to remain together. His greatest joys in life were getting together with family at any time and for any reason - just being together to see the kids, grandkids, and being part of everyone's lives made him happy. He was always available giving out life wisdom along with typical dad humor that made him most endearing. Family camping and hiking trips were always the best and when he seemed the happiest. He always tried to divide his time equally amongst all his children and grandkids. Whenever he had some time for himself, he would jump on his Harley Sportster for a ride to see beautiful Colorado from the back roads and have time with GOD.

Richard "Dick" A. Rengers Sr. was a "Fox Hole" dad, friend, and confidant, He was always thankful for what he had and rarely ever complained. He was in every sense, "A Good Man". To know him was to like him. He affected so many in a positive way. Those that knew him understand that the world is a little less without him. He graduated life with Honors. As a Christian, he walked the walk and talked the talk - he led by his example. He is home now, with all those gone before him. He is in glory, young, no longer in pain, with GOD and family, and my guess, riding his Harley.

Love you, Dad.

- All of Us