Richard Dean Bower Obituary
Richard “Dick” Bower passed away peacefully on August 31, 2017 in O’Neill, Nebraska. He was most recently a resident of O’Neill Care and Rehabilitation center during the final stages of his battle with Alzheimer’s related dementia, where he was known as “DB”.
Dick lived a full and active life, was a husband, dad, brother and loved uncle. He raced cars from a very early age, from street drags in Fresno, CA to off road racing in the 1970’s and 80’s in the deserts of California, Arizona, Nevada and Baja. He also enjoyed the mountains of California, camping, fishing, hunting and was a lifetime member of the NRA.
He grew up in Ainsworth, NE, and moved to California as a teenager in the 1950’s, where he married and started a family. He left California and moved back to Nebraska in the early 1990’s, where he set up shop and was a talented sign painter in Ainsworth. Many of the signs between O’Neill and Ainsworth, NE were hung by Dick and his son, RJ, are still standing today, and are a tribute to his talent and hard work.
Dick moved to Eufaula, Alabama in the mid 2000’s, where he, again set up shop as a talented sign painter, and became known to his many friends there as “DB”. He returned to Ainsworth, NE for his retirement in 2012, in the early stages of Alzheimer’s.
Dick is survived by his three children; Richard Bower Jr. of Torrance, CA, Karey (Dennis) DeBardeleben of Clovis, CA, R.J. (Savannah) Gregorio of Springfield, MO; five grandchildren, Alex (Stefanie) Odaffer, Marnie DeBardeleben, Jayden Gregorio, Dominic Gregorio, Darius Gregorio; two great grandchildren, Emilee and Madalyn Odaffer; one brother, Don Bower of Ainsworth; many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Ann “Sandy’ Balint Fields.
There are no funeral services planned at this time. The family asks that any rememberances be made in the form of a donation to Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org, or sign up for one of the many Walks to End Alzheimer’s that are in so many cities across the country this fall.
The family would also like to express their thanks and gratitude to the staff of O’Neill Care and Rehab, the angels of Asera Care Hospice in O’Neill, as well as all those who helped our family during this time of loss and sorrow.
