Obituary of Richard W. (Dick) Washburn Sr.

Richard W. (Dick) Washburn Sr, age 92, of Duluth, Minnesota, died at the Solvay House in Duluth on April 14, 2020. Dick was born on February 8, 1928 to William Hans and Emma Washburn in Virginia, MN. He was a graduate of Mt. Iron High School and the Virginia Jr. College. After college, Dick was hired by the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway company which was his primary employer for his entire working career. He was also a veteran, having served in the U.S. 8th Army in the 724th Transportation Railway Operating Battalion in Korea from 1951-1953.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Dick resumed work for the DM&IR and earned a series of top management positions over the next 33 years, retiring in 1986 as Assistant Superintendent of the Transportation Department after 37 years of service. Dick was married in Virginia, MN on May 1, 1954 to Joanne Baland, a most wonderful wife. They were blessed with 5 great sons, Rick, Jeff (Brenda), Scott, Todd, and Mark, and a delightful daughter Amy.

Dick was an exceptional artist, wood worker, piano player, and engraver and was a great outdoorsman and superb marksman. It is believed Dick broke many thousands of clay pigeons at the Proctor Gun Club, finishing High Gun for many of the past 50 years. His accomplishment of 4 consecutive perfect rounds of doubles without a miss is a record that likely will never be broken. Dick was a great fisherman. He taught all his kids how to fish and they spent many hours together at the Island Lake Bridge. Dick was also a very accomplished hunter of partridge, ducks, woodcock, and whitetail deer, again sharing his knowledge of the woods with his kids as they grew up.

Dick was a longtime and faithful member of the Lutheran Church of Christ the King church in Duluth. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 62 years, Joanne. He is survived by his sister, Joyce Dall (Ken) of Mt. Iron, MN, his six children, seven grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. A celebration of Dick’s life will be held at the Cremation Society of Minnesota’s West Duluth location at a later date, which will be announced. Interment will be with his wife at the Oneota Cemetery in West Duluth.