Richard Ray Sauvain

Rich was born in Woodbine, Iowa, to Ray and Doris Sauvain. He spent his childhood getting into mischief with his two brothers, Bob, and Roger. While attending Woodbine Junior High, he met his future wife, Mary Ellen Foutch, carrying her lunchbox at school, eventually marrying her on May 2, 1964 – a true childhood romance between soulmates that lasted for 59 years together in marriage.

Upon graduating from Woodbine High School in 1962, Rich enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1963. He attended boot camp in San Diego, CA, with Mary joining him later when he was stationed at the Yuma Marine Corps Air Station, where he worked on the flight line. He was honorably discharged in 1967 and remained a proud US Marine. Returning to Ames, Iowa, Rich began a career as a Barber in Iowa State University’s Dogtown. Then he managed the Iowa Barber College in Des Moines, Iowa, and Missouri School of Barbering in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1984, the family moved west to Colorado Springs to follow Mary’s numismatic career. Always the ever-faithful husband, Rich left his position at the barber college in Des Moines and began a new career selling for Peel’s Beauty Supply. That job had him on the road regularly, covering territory from Southern Colorado to Oklahoma to Northern New Mexico. He was a born salesman with charm and charisma that made him the favorite in all the shops on which he called. He won many sales awards, including a full year of use of a BMW Z3.

Retiring in 2010, Rich was free to enjoy his hobby of woodworking, doing many relief carvings, and building pieces of furniture. He was a self-taught handyman who could fix pretty much anything around the house with the tools in his workshop, including replacing all the windows and slat siding on their three-level home. He was a true outdoorsman, loving to hunt pheasants, antelope, deer, and elk. Rich and Mary enjoyed bicycling in the Colorado mountains, around Colorado Springs, and hiking many Colorado trails. With their Isuzu Trooper, Rich and family took many four-wheeling excursions in the mountains of Colorado, where many hesitated to travel.

Rich and Mary also traveled worldwide to experience places like Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and one of his favorites, New Zealand. Adventurous, they traveled by rail in Europe, carrying only backpacks and finding B&Bs for the night on the rail station board wherever they arrived. They also traveled across the US from Florida to California. Above all else, Rich’s favorite pastime was spending time with his family any way he could, whether traveling back to the Midwest to see extended family or excursions during the holidays and family fun in Hawaii.

He was devoted to Sunrise United Methodist Church and volunteered to do everything from ushering to repairs and landscaping. All the way to the end, Rich always put others first and lived his belief that all people are created equal. He had a bumper sticker on his Isuzu that read, “You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” He lived that mantra daily, speaking the truth to all he encountered, standing up for others when they could not, and loving all equally as he believed in the genuine human connection.

Rich lost his brief but courageous fight with Myelodysplastic Syndrome after more than 19 years of living with Parkinson's disease. He passed away peacefully at home with his family beside him on a sunny day with birds chirping outside the window.

Rich is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Mary; son, Thad, and son-in-law, Carl; daughter Tara; grandson, Eli; brother Bob and wife, Sharon; brother Roger and wife, Mary; sister-in-law, Ann, and husband, Eldon; sister-in-law, Bobbi and husband, Jim; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his close relatives, Rich is survived by many for whom he served as a father figure, and he will be missed dearly.

Please join us in celebration of Richard’s life on July 9th at 2:00PM at Sunrise United Methodist Church, 2655 Briargate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Rich’s name can be made to Colorado Springs Parkinson’s Foundation (https://co-parkinson.org/) or Sunrise United Methodist Church (https://sunriseumc.org/give).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Swan-Law.com for the Sauvain family.