Richard Earl "Dick" Tomlin

Richard Earl “Dick” Tomlin
Runnells

Richard Earl “Dick” Tomlin, 78, of rural Runnells passed away suddenly, October 12, 2016 at Methodist Hospital, Des Moines, IA. Son of Curtis and Olive Tomlin, he was born November 11, 1937 at home in Appanoose County near Moravia, IA. He attended rural Country Tick Ridge School and later Moravia High School where he graduated in 1955. He was very active in sports, lettering in basketball and baseball. He also played the trumpet in the school band.

Dick attended one year at Kirksville Teachers State College in MO. He then transferred to William Penn College in Oskaloosa, IA where he received a BA in Education. Later he received his Master’s Degree from Drake University. In 1959, he taught History and Social Science at the Dawson High School. He also coached the Girls and Boys Basketball teams. While working in the Dawson School District, he became a certified Elementary Principal at the Dawson School. The next move was to the Woden/Crystal Lake School District as an Elementary Principal at the Woden School. In 1966, the Tomlin Family moved to Altoona, IA where Dick became the Elementary School Principal in the new Four Mile Elementary building. When he started as Principal at Four Mile there was no building completed, classes met in other buildings in the district, after Easter vacation was over the classes moved into the new building. Dick served as Principal in this building until 1997 when he retired. He loved working with kids to help expand their minds and talents, working as an Educator for 35 years.

Dick married Sue Partridge at Central Methodist Church in Oskaloosa on June 1, 1958. To this union were born three sons; Richard Wayne, David Gene, and Jeffrey Allan. The boys enjoyed many happy years living at the home on five acres where the family moved in 1972. They called the place “Tomlin’s Walnut Ridge Ranch”.

Dick was a farmer at heart, growing up on a dairy farm in southern Iowa. He was always happy outside working in the gardens among the hostas, roses, flowers and vegetables and mowing on his John Deere garden tractor. Over the years he and the family raised a variety of livestock and had many pet cats and dogs. He enjoyed feeding the wild birds and seeing deer and other wildlife on the property throughout each year. He had to fence the garden off to keep the deer out! Other hobbies included photography; filling many handmade photo albums over the years. His interest in American History included the addition of many books to the bookshelves he constructed in the den at home, which also displays many plastic models he made of WWII airplanes and ships. He enjoyed all types of music, he didn’t have a favorite artist but liked Country Western. Dick was a woodworker, making many pieces of yard furniture, a “bridge to nowhere”, and family signs. The Tomlin family also loved to travel. They have visited 45 of 50 US states. He enjoyed visiting Hawaii and Alaska as the most recent trips taken. Dick and Sue have also traveled to Mexico, Canada, Ireland and Scotland.

Preceding him in death was son, Richard Wayne and his parents. Surviving him to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 58 years Sue, two sons, David and Jeff, two grandsons, Benjamin Richard and Joseph Allan, two brothers, Ron (Mary Ellen) and Bob (Nelda), two sisters, Nancy (Kent) Stansbury and Donna (Gary) Sacco, many nieces and nephews and a host of former teachers, students and friends. Dick will be dearly missed as a loving husband, father, grandfather, educator and friend.

Visitation will be Monday, October 17, 2016 at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines, IA from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at Altoona United Methodist Church, 602 5th Ave SW, Altoona, IA. Burial at Rising Sun Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to “SEP” Dollars for Scholars, PO Box 203, Altoona, IA 50009.

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