Clear and Breezy, 32° F
(June 9, 2002)
Richard J. "Dick" Hedderman, 74, of Cody and Fountain Hills, Ariz., died June 9 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
He was born March 12, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, the fourth child of nine sons and two daughters born to Raymond and Ursula Hedderman. He is survived by his wife Dolly; son Larry (Gloria) Hedderman of Powell; daughter Terry (Craig) Hanson of Yorktown, Va.; granddaughters Josie Hedderman of Cody, Anne Hedderman of Powell and Laramie, and Alexandra and Cody Hanson of Yorktown, Va.
Dick was an educator, outdoorsman, backcountry outfitter, telephone lineman, woodworker, runner, golfer and licensed pilot. At an early age he began riding bulls and traveling the country on the rodeo circuit. It was while he was in Cody for the July 4, 1948 Stampede that he met his future bride, Dolly. They were married Nov. 25, 1949 in St. Anthony's Church in Cody.
Dick worked for 14 years as a lineman for the Bureau of Reclamation and also as an outfitter.
He completed high school by earning a GED and in 1962, moved his family to Laramie, where he and Dolly pursued their degrees. He graduated in 1965 with a double major in education and English and earned his Master of Arts in Education Administration the following year. He was on the dean's list throughout his time at UW, all the while working in the registrar's office and running the Happy Jack Ski School in winter.
The Heddermans returned to Cody in 1966, where Dick taught for five years in the junior high and coached Cody High School's ski team. In 1971, he and Dolly accepted teaching positions on the North Slope of Alaska, where they remained for the next 14 years. He also served as principal and assistant superintendent. They summered in Cody and Hawaii, and while in Hawaii he earned his pilot's license.
He and Dolly retired in 1983, splitting time between Arizona and Cody. He spent his retirement golfing, running and biking, traveling, visiting his children and grandchildren, all the while fighting the progressive effects of Parkinson's Disease. His demeanor throughout that time reflected the attributes for which all who knew him loved and respected him: total selflessness, unbounded patience, understated good humor, unqualified love for family and friends and a quiet demeanor.
A memorial service is planned for June 19 at the Church of Ascension in Fountain Hills, with a second service to be held in early August in Cody.
Memorials may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation.
