Richard W. Kintigh

Richard (Dick) Wayne Kintigh, 79, of Geneseo, passed away Tuesday, March 24, 2020, at Allure of Geneseo.  Cremation rites have been accorded and a private memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, July 31, 2020, at Vandemore Funeral Home - Geneseo Chapel.  Reverend Dr. Chris Ritter will officiate.  Inurnment will be in Oakwood Cemetery.  A private memorial visitation will be held from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the memorial service.   Regulations allow for 50 people (including staff) at a time within the funeral home.  The funeral home will monitor capacity limits to maintain compliance with COVID regulations.  The funeral home requires that all guests at the visitation wear a mask for the safety of all those attending.   The memorial service will be live-streamed at 2:30 p.m. for those unable to attend the service at https://www.vandemorefuneralhome.com/live-stream.  Memorial donations can be made to a charity that is close to your heart and reflects one’s connection to the earth, commitment to personal independence, health, intellect, and creativity – all qualities he esteemed and fostered in others.

Dick was born March 26, 1941, as the only child of Harry T. and Devota L. (Tipton) Kintigh in Cherokee, Iowa.  Dick grew up on a farm near Larrabee, IA and attended Larrabee Consolidated School. He graduated as valedictorian in 1959. Dick attended Iowa State University in Ames, IA and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in the fall of 1963.  Upon graduation, he began employment at John Deere Spreader Works as an Industrial Engineer.  He transferred to the Corporate Offices of Deere & Company in 1965 in Industrial Engineering. He worked as a computer programmer, data developer and completed a 4-month assignment in Madrid, Spain.

In January of 1964, Dick joined the Iowa National Guard. He served until 1969.  He completed Basic and Occupational Training at Fort Jackson, CS in 1964 and entered Officers Candidate School in 1965 at Camp Dodge in Des Moines, IA. He received his commission in 1966 and served as the Ammunitions Officer with the Davenport Iowa Artillery Service Battery.

In Belle Plaine, IA, on March 1, 1969, Dick married Mary M. (Martin), formerly of Belle Plaine, who was a teacher in the Bettendorf Community School District.  They have three sons, David F. (1970), Jeffrey "Jaffa" M. (1973) and Richard "Rick" H. (1975).  David, wife Stacie (Brandle) and grandson Michael (2005) live in Eldridge, IA. David teaches English at Davenport West High School.  Jaffa, with husband, Jack Marunde, lives in Chicago, IL and works in retail management. Rick and wife, Kayla (Macias) lives in Chicago, IL and is an architect with Sterling Bay.

In 1970, Dick accepted a management position with A. B. Dick Company in Niles, IL as Manager of Cost Analysis and later as Manager of Manufacturing Engineering. He served until 1977 when he was rehired by Deere & Company as a Project Manager on the Corporate staff.  While employed by A. B. Dick Co. the family resided in Palatine, IL, and then moved to Geneseo, IL in 1977. All three sons graduated from Geneseo High School.

As a Project Manager with Deere and Company, Dick completed many construction-related projects, including the reconstruction and startup up of an acquired facility in Saltillo, Mexico, as a tractor factory, and the site acquisition and construction of a tractor - manufacturing factory in Augusta, GA.  Named the Manager of Corporate Real Estate in 1990, Dick completed many property and site acquisitions for the company and retired at the end of 2001.  His final project for Deere was as the engineering supervisor in the acquisition, development, and startup of the TPC Deere Run golf course in Silvis, IL.

Dick was an avid sports fan, woodworker and gardener.  He and Mary enjoyed traveling. They were committed patrons of Quad City Music Guild, Richmond Hill Theater, and other local theaters throughout their many years in Geneseo.  They served as president of the Geneseo High School Choral Boosters Board and chaired the high school Madrigal committee. Dick belonged to the Kiwanis Club of Geneseo and served as both secretary and president. He enjoyed helping provide tax assistance for members of the community. Dick and Mary were long time volunteers and hosts to international guests through the Geneseo International Thanksgiving Fellowship Program. Dick shared his lifelong love of farming with his family, through his diverse gardens, orchards, vineyards, patches, and groves. Together they cultivated, preserved, and sold their produce to neighbors and at farmer's markets.

Dick Kintigh succumbed to metastatic melanoma on March 24th, 2020, two days shy of his 79th birthday. He was preceded in death by his parents and survived by his wife, sons, their spouses, and his grandchild.