Richard Arthur Rowlands Jr.

Richard "Dick" Rowlands, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend passed away on January 2, 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, January 5, 2012 at 3 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Monument, Colorado with Pastors Tyg Taylor and Sandy Hanawalt officiating. Military honors will be provided. Memorial services will be conducted in Casper, Wyoming with burial in Hyland Cemetery at a later date. Dick was born in Jacksonville, Florida on March 23, 1918 to Richard and Mary (Merrill) Rowlands. He moved to Casper with his family in 1923. He attended Casper schools, graduating from Natrona County High School in 1936. He attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery in 1940. He was called to active duty and spent the next 30 years in the service of his country. He retired at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1970 achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He then moved with his family to Casper, Wyoming where he worked as the Civil Defense Coordinator and the County Administrator for Natrona County for 16 years. During World War II he served in Europe with the Fifth Armored Division where he participated in the campaigns of Normandy, Northern France, Central Europe, the Ardennes, and the Rhineland. During these campaigns he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. He later served tours in Japan and Korea during which time he was awarded the Silver Star, Oak Leaf Cluster to the Bronze Star and an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Purple Heart. Dick received numerous medals and badges during his service in the Army. The remainder of his time was spent at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the Pentagon in Washington, DC, a second tour in Europe, and in Bangkok, Thailand. His military schooling included the Engineering school, Airborne school, Artillery school; both basic and advanced courses, and the Command and General Staff College. Upon his return from Europe after World War II, he married Virginia Vierling of Thermopolis, Wyoming in January 1946. Virginia passed away in June of 1984. He married Betty Keefe of Casper, Wyoming in 1986 and she preceded him in death in September of 2000. In November of 2002, Dick married Rena Norgaard of Casper, Wyoming and they moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where he remained until the time of his death. He was also preceded in death by his father, mother, and sister; Sally Keely of Tacoma, Washington. He is survived by his four children: Betsy Darnall and husband, John of Tumwater, WA., Meg Einer and husband, Rod of Broken Arrow, OK., Mary Pilbin and husband, Lane of Westminster, CO., and Richard Rowlands and his wife, Carlota of Roswell, GA., six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Betty's five children: Pat Keefe, Bill Keefe, Bob Keefe, Jack Keefe, and Nancy Briggs and Rena's two children, Derek Duman and Angie Trogstadt, along with their families. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Gazette-El Pomar Foundation, Empty Stocking Fund in Colorado Springs.

Arrangements under the direction of Mountain View Mortuary, Colorado Springs, CO.