Richard Paal of Minneapolis died on 10/3/2025 as the result of a bicycle accident. 

Born 1/17/1958 in Slayton, MN to Don and Rose Paal, Rick spent his early years on the family farm near Currie, MN.  He was a 1976 graduate of Owatonna High School.  Rick was a 3 sport athlete, and was captain of his high school swimming and track teams.  He continued on to North Dakota State where he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and was a standout runner on the cross country and track teams.  He was a 2 time Drake Relay Champion and qualified multiple times for the NCAA National Meet in both cross country and track.  He set several school records in track while at NDSU, one of which still stands. In 1984 he was one of 200 trained runners chosen to carry the Olympic Torch across the U.S. to the LA Olympics. He went on to earn an MBA from the University of North Carolina–Greensboro and a Masters Degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois.  He had an accomplished career in engineering and product development, working for Bell Labs, ADC, Optical Solutions and Calix. His name is on several patents. He retired in 2017.

Rick was always active.  He treasured his time with his running club in Winston-Salem, NC and his soccer team in Naperville, IL.  Later in life he turned from running to cycling and nordic skiing and approached his new endurance sports with the same gusto he had approached running.  He was active in the Loppet Foundation at Wirth Park, volunteering at the World Cup in 2024 and marking running and skiing courses for many races. Rick enjoyed skiing and riding with La Squadra.  He was a ride leader for the Twin Cities Bicycle Club.  In recent years he had bicycled through the mountains of Spain and Italy, as well as through the Rockies and the western U.S.    

Despite his successes, Rick remained humble.  He was soft spoken and kind and was quick to offer his vast knowledge and skills to help scores of people with their DIY projects.    

He was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Rose Paal and brother-in-law Dave Williams. He is survived by his wife, Amy, his son Matt, his siblings Mary Beth, Tom “TJ” (Laurie), Jim (Kathy) and Bob (Tiana), many nieces, nephews and friends.  

A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, October 13 at the Cremation Society of MN, 7110 France Ave S., Edina from 12-4.  (Service starts at 1:00.)   

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to The Loppet Foundation, or The MN Landscape Arboretum or a charity of your choice.