"Dick was my best friend in college, and I was so pleased when we reconnected as out respective careers were nearing the end. He, Carol, my wife Margy and I spent many evenings together, chatting, laughing, drinking anything available and listening to Jazz. I fondly recall our jazz quartet in college, and the crazy ?gigs? we played, until intimidated by the Musician Union! And the 4 years we spent invading the John Andersen family room on a regular basis, again listening to jazz, playing pool , discussing girls and , occasionally, more serious subjects. Dick was the brightest guy I knew, as proven by his double major of Chemistry & English?..who ever heard of anyone doing that? I will miss him very much and regret that his last few years were so difficult and debilitating."
In loving memory of
Richard Donald Welna
September 6, 1937 - March 20, 2022
Richard D. Welna, a resident of Phoenix, passed away on March 20, 2022. Richard was a loving husband and father of two. He is survived by his wife Carol; son Jeff; daughter Jill and her husband Mike; and grandsons Alex and Andrew. Richard was born in 1937 in the small town of Clarkson Nebraska. He attended Benson High School and graduated from Omaha University with a double major in Chemistry and English in 1959. He went on to earn a master's degree in English at the University of Oklahoma in 1960. Richard married his college sweetheart, Carol, in 1960, and the newlyweds started their life together in State College, Pennsylvania, where Richard worked for the Penn State University Press. In 1964, with their son Jeff, they moved to Chicago where Richard took a job with Scott Foresman publishing company. That same year, the family grew to four with the birth of their daughter Jill. Shortly after, they moved to the suburbs, and when the kids were grown moved back to the city in the late 1980's. Richard continued to work in college textbook publishing in other capacities after leaving Scott Foresman and eventually retired in 2002. Richard and Carol moved to Phoenix for better weather and enjoyed almost 20 wonderful years of retirement together. Richard loved keeping up with his college buddies, his Scott Foresman crew, and spending time with his young grandkids who lived nearby. He loved the Arizona lifestyle and could be found daily at the nearby Starbucks sipping on his coffee and chatting with friends. We will all remember Richard's love for the good things in life - dining out, afternoon coffee, happy hour, jazz music, a good book and spending time with his family. He was a loving husband, supportive father and grandfather, caring friend, and all-around great guy. He will be deeply missed by all.