Richard Lee Dyksterhuis — a CHS teacher, passed away on June 10, 2020, at 93 years of age. He was born to Eddie Dyksterhuis and Pearl Wright Dyksterhuis in Denver, Colorado, on May 20, 1927. After graduating high school at age eighteen, Richard joined the Army in June 1945 and served overseas until October 1948.
On his return to the United States, he pursued degrees in higher education and served for many years as a teacher and administrator for the Seattle Public Schools. The schools he served include Monroe, Blaine, Ballard, Ingraham, Rainier Beach, West Seattle, Nathan Hale, Garfield, Cleveland, and Meany.
After retirement, he worked for over three decades as an activist promoting the completion of safe sidewalks for streets in North Seattle, including Linden Avenue North, the street of his home. As an advocate for pedestrian safety, he was featured in the 2010 documentary, “A Different Path.”
Richard is preceded in death by his parents; his brother Mort Dyksterhuis; his wife JoAnn Presler; and his longtime companion Cleta Hughes. He is remembered fondly by his many students, his dear friends, his fellow activists, and his loving family. He is survived by his children George (Gloria), Roger (Jamie), and Carol (Ken), five grandchildren, and two nieces.
“May you walk through forests of magnificent trees, listen to the songs of harmonious birds, hand in hand with your beloved Cleta. Your storytelling, your quest for justice, your thirst for knowledge, and your ability to build a kinship with a stranger while walking the sidewalks you had built, is a legacy that will live on. You spread kindness to all, and found joy in the little things.”
With all my love, your darling, proud, and blessed granddaughter.
