Richard "Dick" D. Narum

Richard “Dick” David Narum, 88, a resident of Fergus Falls, died unexpectedly, but surrounded by loved ones, Friday, October 20, 2017 at the Minnesota Veteran’s Home in Fergus Falls.

Dick was born on January 8, 1929, to Arthur and Marion (Runsvold) Narum in Fargo, ND. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, graduating in 1951 with a B.A. in Business Administration and then attended an additional year to receive his Teachers Certificate.

On January 19, 1957, Dick married N. Jeanne Narum in Minneapolis, MN.
Dick began working at a young age during college at Northwestern Bell Telephone Company as an installer. He then worked for Travelers Insurance as a group insurance service representative before going into the Service. He went on to work in the banking and mortgage business with Northwestern Bank and IDS Mortgage companies. Dick finished his career in the real estate business working for Good Value Home Builders, in which he received many Salesman of the Month and Year awards until he retired in 1991.

Dick was a Non-Combat Veteran who served from December 1951 to October 1953. He enlisted in the Ninth Naval District in which his first orders were to report to the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center at Camp Barry, Great Lakes, IL. He then went on into active service in Harford, CT. where he completed various Navy courses preparing him for his most significant national defense duty assignment in Washington D.C. as Communications Technician Seaman, USNR-R. In this role he performed a wide range of tasks in support of the national intelligence-gathering efforts. He was honorably discharged from the United States Navy and received the National Defense Service Medal in 1955.

Dick was an outdoorsman who loved, and was a teacher to many of how to fish, golf and hunt. He enjoyed traveling around the world to warm and sunny places enjoying site-seeing, snorkeling and shopping with his wife Jeanne, family and friends. His destinations included Jamaica, San Juan, Grand Cayman, Texas, San Diego and Hawaii, to name a few. He spent many trips sailing the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Apostle Isles as captain of the boat. He enjoyed gardening, bird-watching and time camping and biking with the gang. When he retired, he and Jeanne spent their winters in Ft. Walton Beach with many friends, and summers at Walker Lake in Camp Nidaros watching sunsets, and their children and grandchildren fish from the dock, swim and ski, and just have fun.

In 2014 he moved to the Fergus Falls Veterans Home where he not only survived, but thrived after two separate leg amputations. He went on many field trips, fished, played Bingo and was a wonderful baritone singer performing with the VA’s choir, even singing the National Anthem at a professional baseball game. He was cared for and loved by a wonderful staff at the Fergus Falls Veterans Home until he left us.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Arthur and Marion Narum; spouse, Jeanne in 2015; siblings, Robert Narum, Betty (Narum) Larson.

Survivors include his children, Tom (Kay) Narum of Coon Rapids, MN, Julie (Scott) Johnson of Maple Grove, MN, Suzanne Ryan of Maple Grove, MN; grandchildren, Mike Narum, Max and Alec Johnson, and Heather Ryan.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to the Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls, MN.

Visitation: One hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorial Service: 12:30 p.m. Saturday, November 11, 2017, at Zion Lutheran Church of Amor, Battle Lake, MN.
Clergy: Revs. Jim Gronbeck and Stan Satre
Burial: Zion Lutheran Cemetery of Amor, Battle Lake, MN
Arrangements provided by Olson Funeral Home, Fergus Falls.
Online condolences may be sent to www.OlsonFuneralHome.com