Richard Leroy Cushman
September 4, 1945 — October 29, 2024
Richard LeRoy Cushman was born September 4, 1945 in Titonka, Iowa the son of Myrle and Marjorie (Rudisill) Cushman.
Until the fifth grade, Dick’s family lived on a farm near Buffalo Center before moving to the family farm near Lakota, Iowa. He graduated from Lakota High School in 1963. In 1965 Dick entered the United States Army and served two years during Vietnam. He served with 101st Airborne Unit and received two Purple Hearts of Valor and numerous other commendations prior to his honorable discharge in 1967. After the service, Dick returned to Iowa and started his career in commercial sewer and water main construction. On February 26, 1972 he was united in marriage to Diane Miller. In 1976 the couple moved to Knoxville, and Dick worked for Van Hauen Construction which later became Riley Construction. He retired in 2014 and then worked alongside his son at Cushman Excavation.
Dick was a lion of a man with a strong work ethic and a heart of gold. He loved to entertain family and friends, singing and playing guitar or having a lively card game. Dick and Diane loved to travel to Hawaii and enjoyed cruises and bus trips. Family was paramount for Dick, he cherished his wife and children and especially loved spoiling his grandchildren.
Dick passed away Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at MercyOne Medical Center, in Des Moines, at the age of 79 years.
In addition to his parents, Dick was preceded in death by his siblings: Beverly Lewis and Dave Cushman and a grandson, Jayden Robinson.
Those left to honor Dick’s memory include his wife, Diane; children: Chad Cushman, LeAnn Robinson, Jess Cushman and Jason (Kristi) Cushman; special children: Krissy Cushman, Sean Robinson, Rachel Peterson and Tom Crnkovich; grandchildren: Matthew (Mikayla) Beebe, Laney Cushman, Sami Cushman, Rylan Robinson, Rylee Davis, Kyler Cushman, Maddie McGuire and Anna McGuire; great grandson, Zander Carpenter; siblings: Earl Cushman, Daryl Cushman and Julie Theil; his cat, Buddy and many other family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Knoxville First United Methodist Church, the Knoxville Hospital & Clinics Foundation, or to Knoxville E.M.S.
Until the fifth grade, Dick’s family lived on a farm near Buffalo Center before moving to the family farm near Lakota, Iowa. He graduated from Lakota High School in 1963. In 1965 Dick entered the United States Army and served two years during Vietnam. He served with 101st Airborne Unit and received two Purple Hearts of Valor and numerous other commendations prior to his honorable discharge in 1967. After the service, Dick returned to Iowa and started his career in commercial sewer and water main construction. On February 26, 1972 he was united in marriage to Diane Miller. In 1976 the couple moved to Knoxville, and Dick worked for Van Hauen Construction which later became Riley Construction. He retired in 2014 and then worked alongside his son at Cushman Excavation.
Dick was a lion of a man with a strong work ethic and a heart of gold. He loved to entertain family and friends, singing and playing guitar or having a lively card game. Dick and Diane loved to travel to Hawaii and enjoyed cruises and bus trips. Family was paramount for Dick, he cherished his wife and children and especially loved spoiling his grandchildren.
Dick passed away Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at MercyOne Medical Center, in Des Moines, at the age of 79 years.
In addition to his parents, Dick was preceded in death by his siblings: Beverly Lewis and Dave Cushman and a grandson, Jayden Robinson.
Those left to honor Dick’s memory include his wife, Diane; children: Chad Cushman, LeAnn Robinson, Jess Cushman and Jason (Kristi) Cushman; special children: Krissy Cushman, Sean Robinson, Rachel Peterson and Tom Crnkovich; grandchildren: Matthew (Mikayla) Beebe, Laney Cushman, Sami Cushman, Rylan Robinson, Rylee Davis, Kyler Cushman, Maddie McGuire and Anna McGuire; great grandson, Zander Carpenter; siblings: Earl Cushman, Daryl Cushman and Julie Theil; his cat, Buddy and many other family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Knoxville First United Methodist Church, the Knoxville Hospital & Clinics Foundation, or to Knoxville E.M.S.
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