Richard Terry Etzel's Obituary
Richard Terry Etzel (75) Tucson, AZ, passed away on September 18, 2022, following complications from quintuple by-pass surgery and an aortic dissection after a long fight for recovery. He was born March 31, 1947, to Richard and Ruth Eileen (Stein) Etzel in Topeka, KS.
He attended Hayden and Highland Park high schools, and the University of Kansas and Washburn University.
He joined the Air Force in 1966. He completed basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX, and technical training at Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX, and was assigned to Hill AFB, Ogden, UT, and Homestead Air Reserve Base, Homestead, FL. He served as an airplane mechanic working on fixed wing propeller aircraft in DaNang, Viet Nam, 1968-69.
He loved cars, bought and modified his dream car, a Camero Super Sport, and over the years did all his own work restoring the mechanics, including swapping the engine of his beloved first generation Mazda Miata. In Topeka, he hired on as a mechanic at Import Plaza, and worked as a mechanic, parts manager and service advisor at Dale Sharp Automotive. He excelled at his job and won Nissan’s “National Service Advisor of the Year” award for 1991, and Nissan’s Denver Region “Service Advisor of the Year'' award two consecutive years, 1990-91. He worked at Jim Click Nissan in Tucson, AZ, until his retirement.
He loved classical music, especially Mozart and Dvorak. He loved books and libraries, and especially reading favorite authors Edward 0. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Lewis Thomas, Thomas Moore, Carl Sagan, W.E. Deming, Edward Abbey, Charles Bowden, and Dave Barry. He collected and read numerous photography books, film and digital cameras, and enjoyed hiking and taking photographs of Sonoran desert life and his family. He enjoyed tennis, pets, and people, had a quick and wicked wit, a curious mind, and a kind and caring heart.
He married Randy (Olsen) Demoss in 1967 and had one son, Richard Todd, Kansas City, MO. He married Kelley (Thorp) Etzel in 1982 and had three children, Nicholas James, Stephenville, TX, Caitlyn Eileen, Austin, TX, Steven Patrick, Overland Park, KS. He loved and was proud of all his children and before he passed was happy to learn Steven would soon be applying for medical school. Richard was a kind supportive father who loved having hours long conversations with his children and included them in his passions from a young age. He taught and encouraged them to have good ethics, values and compassion for others.
He was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother Maurine (Openshaw McDonald) Etzel, his eldest son Richard Todd, sister Deborah (Debbie) Kay Etzel Arroyo (Greg) of Missouri City, TX, and brother Gregory Joseph.
He is survived by his partner and family of 25 years, Karen Dalziel Tallman, Tucson, AZ, Autumn, Ilan and Lila Tallman, Iowa City, IA, his children Nicholas, Steven, Caitlyn, grandchildren Colin Gregory Nolan, Connor Greyson Nolan, Austin, Texas, brother Bob Etzel (Meggan) Lawrence, KS, sisters Mary Ann Etzel Marshall (Steve) Topeka, KS, Therese Marie Etzel Hopkins, Blue Springs, MO, and stepbrother Randy McDonald (Bethann) Washington, UT.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
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