It is nearly impossible to think that Dick has been gone for five years.  I can still hear his voice in my mind, picture him sitting at the bridge table, remember him showing me his "go to" dance move, hearing his laugh, the beard...he was a good man and I still miss him...

It is hard to believe that it was three years ago that Dick was taken from those who loved him.  What can't be taken from us are the great memories of all those years he was in our lives, for me 50 years.  We shared playing sports together and spent countless hours at the bridge table and I can remember the last hand I played against Dick.  I can remember laughing out loud as he showed me his "go to move" on the dance floor.   Losing him in such a needless way will always be with us, but I feel privileged to have had him as a friend for half a century and no one can take away my great memories...

Dick and I were bridge partners for many years.  We had the biggest game ever, over 75% in Plymouth.  Our names were published in the American Contract Bridge Bulletin as are others who achieve a 75% game or better.  It was an honor Dick.  May you rest in peace.

My deepest sympathies to Dick's loved ones, especially Peggy and Jim.
Dick and I were roommates for two years at MSU and played ACBL bridge tournaments for many years.
After we each married, Dick in 1972, myself in 1973, we hung out on occasional weekends (300 mile journey) and took a few camping vacations together.
On April 5th, I was looking up Dick's contact information when I learned of his passing. I was wanting to contact him after many years of not visiting - although we had been close for most of the 1960's and 1970's.
I felt shock and sorrow when I learned of his sudden passing. 
Hoping you will heal from the good memories you have of Dick. 
David Linton 

Looking through my photos taken at dances, Dick was always a presence. Here he is at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival in 2004. 
I added the memorial service to AACMAD's Dance Calendar. 
https://events.aactmad.org/
It's also on Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/789321298109564/


From your Northside and St Andrew's neighbors, Nancy, Anne, and John Becker.  We are deeply saddened to learn of Dick's death and hope that you are comforted by the many memories that people have shared here.

We lived up the hill on Chandler when you lived on Barton Drive. Your parents and ours played bridge, our dad was a legal advisor to your dad, and Peggy and Nancy were occasionally tasked with keeping the three of us Becker kids in line.  Dick and John and Anne and I were in Youth Group and confirmation  class together; Dick and Gary Caskey made sure that there was always a good laugh as well as the more serious parts of our gatherings.  

While I would occasionally see Dick out on his  postal carrier rounds, after I came back to Ann Arbor 25 years ago, the image I will always have of him is from the 1965 Omega, the AAHS yearbook picture of the boys  swim team.   He will be young forever in my memory.
-- Nancy Becker (AAHS, '66) Johnson

What an outstanding friend and athlete Dick was! I met him at the Y, since we seemed to be on the fitness floor at the same time. From the beginning of our friendship, he consistently tried to convince me to go dancing. It was evident that he found much joy in his regular activities, and was anxious to share the fun with others. Before too long I was joining him (and the rest of his swim gang) in the pool on Sunday mornings. He set the workout, the pace, and the expectation of camaraderie and friendly competition. I was especially touched when I brought my 7 year old son some mornings to try and keep up with the group, and Dick and the gang kindly welcomed him. My son and Dick grew fond of each other over the past couple of years, and I think both their eyes lit up when they saw each other. I know I was so happy to see Dick on those early mornings—ensuring that I was about to get a great workout with a spunky friend, and leave in a great mood thanks to his infectious enthusiasm. I'm still swimming on Sunday mornings, but surely miss the spark he brought to the adventure. 

Dick brought his joy and energy to many different kinds of communities throughout Ann Arbor. For years now, I have enjoyed his friendship in the swimming pool at the YMCA. Regularly, Sundays and Tuesdays (and the occasional Thursday) we swam side by side, often perfectly in synch (or so I am told by my friends who watched us from the ellipticals that overlook the pool), and always always faster together than we would ever be working out on our own. Dick was an amphibious calculator--he could figure out the split times we should aim for and reckon our day's yardage in an instant. He had a special talent for sparking friendly competition, whether this meant assigning the fast people an extra length on an interval swim, or inching just slightly ahead of me on the last length of a 200 or 100-yard swim. We miss him. I miss him. But I hear his voice in my ear every time I take to the water. 

I cared for Dick's mom for four years and became very familiar with him and his sibs. He was a very outgoing, passionate person, and enjoyed life to the fullest. 
He participated in Triathalon events, and encouraged me to get healthy. 
He was so warm and easy going. I was very sorry to learn he was no longer among us. I embrace you all: Nancy, Peggy and Jim. 

Peace and love,
Sue

My condolences to Dick's family. What a terrible loss. I am in Dick's Sunday morning Y swim group. He was our swimming partner, and informal coach. He made us swim harder and with joy. I saw him nearly every morning at the Y. Now, when I see someone walking toward me down the hall at the Y, I instantly think it's Dick, and then, sadly, realize it cannot be. Our friend Kelly and I swam with him the Sunday before he died. I remember he was so happy. We had a great workout, many laughs, and  a round of high five's. He made a comment about how he much improved his swim was after being joined by "two beautiful ladies." Ha. Tomorrow, 3/17/19, our swim buddies are gathering for brunch to celebrate his life. We miss him and need to grieve together. In addition, we are donating to the Ann Arbor YMCA's annual campaign in his memory. I have designated my contribution to the youth swim program. If we reach 1K, a banner will be placed in the pool area with his name on it. We will have no trouble reaching that goal! If you contact me, I can let you know when it is installed. We all agree that seeing his name everytime we breathe on that side, will motivate us to swim harder and with more joy. I will try to post a photo of the group tomorrow.  Please stay in touch. Much love.

A wonderfully talented, kind and interesting friend to many of us, Dick was a gracious dance partner and spirited bicycling partner. Always planning ahead and welcoming to others. I do not want to believe he is gone in the way he was found. Unbelievable and hard to bear. May loving memories shield our community's grief and be a blessing for others' good deeds.

Dick was a good friend and a special addition to the Forestbrooke neighborhood.  I walk a lot for exercise, and I often encountered Dick, both in the neighborhood and at Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center.  If he was working in his garden, I’d stop and chat.  We’d compare deer sightings in Sylvan Woods and discuss how to keep the trails in the park in good shape for walking.  We’d speculate on schemes to most efficiently retain rain runoff in his garden or discuss the progress of his flowers, vegetables, and especially, his raspberries, from which he made jam.  In summer evenings, I’d sometimes catch up with him while he was getting in the last of his 5000 steps, and we’d chat while we walked.  He joined me on at least one occasion to attend the annual meeting of the Huron River Watershed Council.  He came to my 75th birthday party.  I was always impressed at how connected he had stayed with the community, through his dancing, his bridge playing, and his pickle ball.  His dahlias, which I’d pick up from the vases he set out, graced our dining room in late summer and fall.  On February 20 when I read an email that the city water system had sprung a leak in front of his house and saw the city crew arriving along Terhune and later leaving after making repairs, I drove by his house in late afternoon to see what had happened to his garden.  Not knowing yet what else had happened on that Wednesday, I noted that he would be pleased that the digging was limited just to the street and tree lawn.

I have known Dick for a few years since he started playing pickleball at the Meri Lou Rec Center. Dick has pleasant personality and always has a smile on his face. Today, Monday 2/25/19, 30 pickleball players held hands in a huge circle on pickleball courts and prayed for Dick. May he rest in peace.

I have know Dick since the early 90s when I started contra dancing.  Right from the beginning he helped me feel at home and valued as a part of the contra dance community. He always had a good attitude. I remember so many times, standing in a contra line, asking him about his day and he would tell me he had swum six miles in the morning, then had run 15 miles in the afternoon and was now dancing for three straight hours in the evening. I would wonder how I was going to make it to the end of the dance.  Dick was an inspiration. His death is a terrible loss to the dance community. 

sorry for your loss jim. I know its been a long time (50 years!)  we all had a great time back so many years ago. 

I first met Dick around 1970.  I was just learning the game of bridge and as I became more skilled, was "fortunate" enough to play with Dick.  Our group of bridge playing friends played  several times a week and sometimes all night long.  We also played basketball and occasionally threw the football around.  As his friends all know, he had a robust personality.  He was very expressive...if you made a mistake at the bridge table, his facial expressions said it all...he didn't have to say a word, although he was always willing to point out better ways to have bid or played a hand.  Playing bridge with Dick was like getting a free bridge lesson...he was truly expert, much more than I was or am.  

Because I don't live in Ann Arbor, I didn't see Dick often but we would occasionally cross paths or talk on the phone.  I know he had a great love of dancing and the last time I saw him he showed me his "signature dance move".  It was funny...  And, more recently, he started playing pickleball, also a love of mine.  Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to play with him and I know I would have had a great time doing so.  It would have given me an opportunity to teach  him a few things...

Dick had significant health problems in the last several years and I think those issues gave him a perspective that each day was a gift and he seemed unwilling to waste a day.  Every day, he did something that brought him joy, and usually, brought others joy as well.

It is terribly, terribly sad that his life was cut short in the manner that it was.  I certainly am not articulate enough to craft a message that can truly console those of us who are grieving at his passing.  I offer my deepest sympathy to his friends and family...

Doug Martin

When I was a new contra dancer, 20 years ago, I didn’t understand that men quite often danced with men – this was America right?   I did know that the contradance community welcomed all types, sizes, colors, and stripes,  but ME dance with a man, not in 1 million years ! Well,  one day Tracy and I attended a contradance at Lovett Hall, the dance hall that Henry Ford built.  I apparently had a severe case of dance fever, and when Dick Fortune asked me to dance I said YES! forgetting that he was a guy.  As we stood in line waiting for the dance to start I could feel the eyes up and down our bodies and the look on the faces from people I did not know saying it looks like they're are a couple.  For someone like myself, with a severe case of homophobia, it was pretty stressful. However, Dick and I had a blast! After that, dancing with guys got easier and easier and now it makes absolutely no difference to me what the sex of my partner is.  I credit Dick with helping cure me of the awful burden of homophobia.  I fear that I never fully gave him credit and thanked him. See you on the other side Dick and save the first dance for me. George

Dick was a regular member of the local Rec center  pickleball community and it was always fun to be partnered with him.  He had a twinkle in his eye and a countenance of genuine kindness.  He was a blessing to know and will be sorely missed.  May he now soar with the angels.

To Dick's family, I am so sorry for your tragic loss. Dick was a fun and generous guy. I've known him for a long time. I met him through the dancing community where I watched him flirt with and twirl all of his partners. He was enjoying it all as much as he could. I admired how fit he kept himself with swimming, running, biking, etc. He was not someone to sit down for long. Then my husband and I moved in across the street from him and got to know him as a neighbor and gardener. All of us in the neighborhood appreciated his flower offerings. His commitment to all of his dahlias, that have to be dug up every fall and planted again in spring, was amazing. And he shared them all with us. All different varieties he put in dollar store vases and left on his curb for anyone to take. It was a neighborhood institution in the summer. Some of the flowers in my garden where gifts from Dick.  I will miss him and his colorfulness. I know there are so many people he knew through different communities that will miss him too. I hope now he's dancing and playing bridge by a beautiful garden somewhere.

I remember Dick as an Ironman and contra dancing and always a positive attitude. Thanks for the memories, Dick. What a loss. 

Dick was my bridge partner for many years until about 3 years ago.  We played at the Plymouth Community Center.   I played once with  Dick in the last six months and we won.  (Difficult not to as he was a fine bridge player.)  A few years ago Dick and I had a 75+ percentage game and Judi Amatangelo  got us a cake and took pictures.  (It was the best score I've ever had in bridge.)

 Dick loved his flowers and he shared then with the bridge players.  He was so thoughtful.  I liked Dick a great deal.  May he rest in peace .


NOTE: I would like to attend his memorial.  Please keep me informed.  However if it's in the next week, I am in Florida and on a cruise until March 2nd.



Ever since I began (1986?) coming down from Traverse City to Ann Arbor to dance, I've known Dick Fortune.  I cannot see his face except with a grin on his face.  An Angry Face?  Not on his face.  He wanted to have fun, share fun.  I cannot count the number of times we danced up and down the same contra line.  Every time I was there, he seemed to be there.  We were even together at a week long dance camp,  Brasstown.  A great guy.  a fun guy.  A man who will truly be missed.  Every time I read "truly be missed" I half don't believe it.  In Dick Fortune's case, believe it.  The countless comments from the contra dance community says it all:  Richard (Dick) Fortune Will Be Missed.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Richard Lane Fortune

18 juillet 1947 – 20 février 2019

Muehlig Funeral Chapel

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