- Date Of Birth: February 17, 1935
- Date Of Death: April 25, 2021
- State: Iowa
Richard (Dick) Kent Ekse, age 86, of Ankeny, Iowa, died on Sunday morning, April 25, 2021 at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife Bonnie by his side.
Dick was born on February 17, 1935 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Oscar and Jeanette (Grotta) Ekse. He graduated Central High School in Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota. Dick held various accounting and auditing positions in Minnesota and the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. He retired after 25 years with the Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames, Iowa.
Dick was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Des Moines; The Institute of Internal Auditors; and Sons of Norway.
In January 1975 Dick and Bonnie Girvan met at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, Iowa, and were married in the same church the following October. They moved from Davenport to Des Moines in 1977, and to Ankeny in 1981. While working for the Iowa DOT, Dick traveled during the week. He and Bonnie enjoyed being together at weekends, and traveling to favorite national parks, scenic areas and historic sites during summer and autumn vacations. Their 1995 trip to visit relatives and ancestral homes in Norway, Sweden and Scotland was a highlight. In 2015 they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with family and friends at the Iowa Arboretum in rural Boone County.
Dick had an engaging personality, a beautiful smile, and was kind and generous. After meeting him for the first time, many women would tell Bonnie, “Your husband is so sweet!” He loved family visits with parents, siblings and his many aunts, uncles and cousins. Worship at church was an indispensable part of Dick’s life. His strong faith and fervent belief in the power of prayer sustained him.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents and his brother John. He is survived by his loving wife Bonnie; his sister Betty (Gary) Port, Bemidji, Minnesota; his brother Michael, Webster, South Dakota; four nephews, three nieces and their children; and many cousins.
