RICHARD ENGELBART
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Richard Charles Engelbart, 89, went to his Heavenly home on April 4, 2018. He was born on March 15, 1929 in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the third son of Walter and Marie Engelbart. He spent his youth in Fort Dodge, and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1952. He married Lucy Wertz of Fort Dodge in 1953, and worked in Des Moines for the Principal Insurance Company from 1952 to 1958.
During his high school and college days, and his time in Des Moines, he performed as a drummer for the Karl King Band and several regional big bands. One of the bands he played with included pianist Al McCoy, who would later become the voice of the Phoenix Suns.
In 1958, Richard and Lucy moved to Scottsdale, after Richard received a job offer to join the accounting department of the Phoenix-based HBA Life Insurance Company. He eventually became the Vice President/Treasurer for HBA. After the sale of HBA in the mid 1980s, he joined Scottsdale Insurance Company, where he worked until his retirement in 1994.
In 1967, Richard and Lucy had their only child, son Richard Scott Engelbart.
Following his retirement, Richard and Lucy enjoyed taking cruises to Alaska and Hawaii, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip through England and western Europe.
Richard spent a lot of time on tennis courts and played in a number of tournaments at the Phoenix Country Club. He was an ardent fan of ASU football from his arrival in the Valley until his passing. He ushered at Christ Church Lutheran from 1965 to 2015.
He is survived by his wife, Lucy, and his son, Richard Scott. He was preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Walter and Warren.
A celebration of life service will be held at Christ Church Lutheran, 3901 E Indian School Road, on Saturday April 14, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Christ Church Lutheran, Hospice of the Valley, or Mayo Clinic. Arrangements entrusted to Messinger Indian School Mortuary, Scottsdale, AZ.