Richard J Huneke (Dick), 83, loving husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, and great grandfather died Sunday, March 6, 2022 in Portland, Oregon.
Dick was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 27, 1938 where he honed his basketball skills at the local Boys and Girls Club. After graduating from Erasmus High School in Brooklyn, he attended St Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ on a basketball scholarship, played for 4 years, and graduated with a BA degree in 1961. He joined the US Army as commissioned officer and, with his new wife, moved to Stuttgart Germany where he was stationed for 3 years. Two of his three children were born there.
After his discharge, Dick and his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he began his career at Northwestern Bank Corp in Human Resources and obtained a MA degree in Industrial Psychology. In 1974, while employed by Medtronic Inc as Director of Personnel for International Operations, he and his family lived in Paris, France for 3 years. After his return to Minnesota, Dick began his own management consulting business, Richard J Huneke & Associates where he worked until his retirement in 2002.
He and his first wife ended their marriage in the mid 1980s and he and his current wife, Janet Robinson were married at the end of 1986. They moved from Minneapolis to Portland, Oregon in 1991 and to Manzanita in 2010 where Dick started a men’s cooking group, joined a book club, was a member of the Rinehart Clinic Board, and performed in several Riverbend Players productions. He and Janet returned to Portland in 2017. Dick is survived by Dr Janet Robinson, wife of 35 years, cats, Laverne and Shirley, 3 daughters, 2 stepdaughters, 5 sons-in-law, 13 grandchildren, 1 great grandson, and many beloved friends.
Dick was the eternal good guy and charismatic to all who knew him, particularly when it came to storytelling in his Brooklyn accent. He was deeply passionate about family, friends, and work. After his stroke in 2018, Dick was just as passionate about his recovery particularly his rehabilitation at Sara Bellum’s Bakery and Workshop for Adults with Acquired Brain Injury where he worked hard to regain skills, and was joyfully encouraging of others.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 30 at 1 pm at St Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, 120 NE Knott, Portland 97212. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to St Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church or Sara Bellums Bakery and Workshop,
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