Dick died of natural causes Dec. 8, 2008. He was 97.
Dick was a reporter and sportswriter for almost 80 years, earning the nickname “Scoop” during his Daily Princetonian days, when he was the first in the country to report the famous decision by Bobby Jones to retire from competitive golf in 1930. “He would be the first to admit that he was not a great athlete, but he loved sports,” his son Dick said.
Dick’s career in journalism ran the gamut from the Pioneer Press and the Chicago Daily News to 30 years at the Minneapolis Star. In between stints he served 26 months as a combat reporter for the Marines in the South Pacific. He also worked as a correspondent for Sports Illustrated and covered the 1960 Winter Olympics. At a baseball game one day, Dick introduced his son Charlie to Willie Mays, Ted Williams, and Sam Snead. “He was the consummate professional and the consummate dad,” Charlie said.
Dick and his wife Adelaide (who died in 2007) were married for 61 years. They are survived by their sons, Charlie, Bob, and Dick, and 10 grandchildren. The class extends deepest sympathy to all the family.