- Date Of Birth: August 16, 1925
- Date Of Death: August 8, 2016
- State: Utah
Richard Merton Nauta
August 16, 1925 – August 8, 2016
To know him is to love him. Richard (Dick) Merton Nauta, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away peacefully Aug. 8, 2016, just 8 days before his 91st birthday. Surrounded by family in his daughter Margie and son-in-law Kent Lee’s home, he left a legacy of love for all those who adored him.
Born Aug. 16, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan, to Folkert (Frank) Nauta and Grace Belle Marsh, he was the youngest of 7 children: Joseph, Frances, Warren, Margaret, Virginia, and Dorothy. After his mom died when he was 9-years-old, he said, “Margaret became a second mother to me.” He had an adventurous childhood with family and friends. With them he learned to fix, repair, and build anything.
He attended Denby High School prior to enlisting in the US Navy at 17, where he served as a TBF Avenger Turret Gunner on the Carrier CVE 70 Fanshaw Bay during WWII. In May 2015, he participated in a Utah Honor Flight.
After the war, Richard headed west seeking jobs in California with a buddy. But upon meeting and falling in love with a beautiful, dark-haired girl, Allene Rowe Smith, at Jenny’s Lake, he followed her to Spanish Fork, Utah. The couple married in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 11, 1947. Their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on their 10th anniversary. They were the loving parents of 5 children.
Richard was employed in various capacities at HAFB, completing his career as an F4 Phantom Technical Manual Writer. Later, he worked for Ted R. Brown and Booth Crabtree.
The retired couple enjoyed wintering at Rainbow Acres near Quartzite, Arizona.
A man of all trades, Richard enjoyed carpentry, camping, hunting, fishing, and canoeing with his family. He was a great storyteller and had many motorcycle adventures with his buddies. He never lost his zany sense of humor or his keen intellect.
Richard’s grandchildren recall how ready he was to get down on his hands and knees and frolic with them. He was always ready to serve anyone in need. Every year he addressed and sent birthday and anniversary cards to each member of his family now numbering 112.
He was a devoted member of the LDS church and had a strong testimony after his baptism in 1956. He served faithfully in many callings and especially loved home teaching.
A tender caregiver to his beloved Allene, Richard literally sat by her bedside 22 hours a day, ministering to her for 3 years when he could no longer care for her in their home. Theirs was an incredible love story. He has missed her intensely since her passing Dec. 15, 2006.
Richard is survived by his children, Sharon (Dave) Steele, Marti (the late Brent) Carter, Rick (Judy) Nauta, Margie (Kent) Lee, and David (Lis) Nauta, 30 grandchildren, and 53 great-grandchildren (with three on the way). He also leaves behind one sister-in-law, Barbara Smith Miller, and many nieces and nephews, including Patience Nauta with whom he talked often over the telephone. He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, and one son-in-law, Brent R. Carter.
