Memorial

The family of Richard Chelikowsky sadly announces his passing on July 8th, 2016.  A memorial service will be held at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church at 11:00 AM on Wednesday July 13th, with a visitation on Tuesday July 12th from 5 to 7:30 PM at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home.  Pastors Paul and Gayle Wilcox will officiate.

Richard Dale Chelikowsky was born in Manhattan, Kansas on February 10th, 1939, to Helen and Joe Chelikowsky.  He attended elementary through high school in Manhattan.  He was an Eagle Scout.

His hobby of amateur radio led to a B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Kansas State University in 1961 and an M.S. in E.E. in 1962.

Richard married Jeanne Booth, also of Manhattan, on May 28, 1961.  They moved to Cedar Rapids in 1962, when Richard was employed by Collins Radio.  He remained at what became Rockwell Collins until his retirement in 1996.  He felt particularly privileged to have worked on the communication system of the Apollo space program in those early years.

Richard and Jeanne were blessed with three children: Marie, Laura, and John.  He put his wife and children above all else.

Dick enjoyed outdoor activities; he ran in 13 marathons, biked in 20 RAGBRAIs, and completed every one.  He and Jeanne loved camping and wintering in Florida, where he played tennis.

He was a longtime member of Lovely Lane United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir and more recently, helped coach the before- and after-school Lego League program.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne, his mother Helen Chelikowsky of Florida, his three children: Marie, of Lincoln, Nebraska; Laura Mackey (and husband Bob) of Rutherfordton, North Carolina; and John (and wife Toni) of Hopkins, Minnesota; his grandchildren: Nathan and Elizabeth Mackey, and Zach Chelikowsky; his brother Jim (and wife Ellen) of Austin, Texas; his sister-in-law Rebecca (and husband George) of Tampa, Florida; and four nephews. He was preceded in death by his father Joe.

Instead of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to Lovely Lane United Methodist Church (http://www.lovelylane.org/giving-to-lovely-lane/) or the Linn County Trail Association (http://linncountytrails.org/support/).