Richard "Dick" Harris Zaluki

Richard Harris Zaluki, a career tradesman and life-long community member of Cheshire County, passed on November 25, 2020. Like everything else he did in life, he did so on his own terms. He spent his final moments surrounded by his loving wife and children in the comfort of the home he filled with laughter, lessons and memories for nearly 60 years.

He was born on October 11, 1933 in Keene, NH to Michael and Beatrice Zaluki, where on Roosevelt St, he was raised alongside his sister, Patricia and brother, John (deceased). He had a sister Ann who passed before he was born. He graduated from Keene High where he exceled at football.

An ardent patriot, he served in the Navy from 1951-54 as a member of the famed Seabees, earning the National Defense Service Medal for his efforts in Bermuda during the Korean conflict. His commitment to his country continued well after his service in his membership and support of American Legion Gordon-Bissell Post #4 for 53 years as well as assistance and advocacy to other veterans to access the medical care provided by the VA.

After his service, he entered into the construction trades by studying at the Wentworth Institute, eventually serving as the superintendent for Goodell Construction. He would eventually go on to run his own successful contracting business, Zaluki Construction, where he completed a vast myriad of projects around the region to the benefit of both public and private parties. A diligent and driven man, he provided “quality work at a fair price”. While a committed business man, he was known for light hearted feats such as making a show of measuring the thickness of his daily dessert with his carpenter’s ruler.

Richard met his future wife, Pat through a blind date and they were married on May 18, 1957. They initially lived in Keene, NH and moved to Marlborough in 1961. There, they raised five children. Richard worked two jobs so Pat could stay at home and focus on raising their children. They celebrated 60 years of marriage surrounded by their extensive family in 2017.

An active member in the local sports community, he coached Marlborough Babe Ruth baseball teams during mid to late 1970’s to early 1980’s stressing the fundamentals of the game, help setting the foundation for many successful Marlborough High School Baseball teams including the 1980 Class S state championship. Often heard yelling “Can of Corn” for a fly ball or “Get the piano off your back” when a player was running the bases, his tutelage is well remembered by the ball players of the region.

He was widely known around town as the self-appointed Mayor of Marlborough, a title he ran for and held unopposed and unofficially for decades. You could often find him holding court in the morning from his office at Doody’s. Cup of coffee and newspaper in hand, his sermons bestowed ample bits of wisdom to other patrons from the importance of understanding compound interest to the reminder that life’s minor aches and pains were “a long way from the heart”.

After his retirement, he opened the “School of Hard Knocks” in the family home’s barn, where he took in his grandchildren as pupils under the mantra “Lord, I am doing the best I can with what I have”. From this esteemed, albeit unlicensed institution of academia, his grand children were taught countless invaluable life lessons that would serve them well through life. Through this he ensured that all his grandchildren understood the importance of being early to be on time, that cash was king, to always check the oil, and that nothing trumps hard work.

Widely known for his quick wit and lively persona, he should be remembered as a man whose vibrant individualism was only outshone by the depth of his character and commitment to his family. He was lively and quick with his words, but also a man of integrity who’s loyalty to those he loved was uncompromised.

He is survived by his wife Patricia (Wirein) Zaluki of Marlborough; his sister, Pat Newcomb of Hancock, NH; his children, Michael Zaluki of Swanzey, NH; Barbara Giguere and her husband, Rick of Swanzey; Thomas Zaluki and his wife, Dawn Brennan of Marlborough; Katrina Cross and her husband, David of Swanton, VT; as well as 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren. His loving daughter, Amy Zaluki-Stone, passed away 19 months prior, and who is survived by her husband, Douglas Stone, of Antrim, NH.

For those wishing to attend, there will be an outside, socially distanced, graveside services with military honors on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 2:00pm in the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations in Richard Zaluki’s name be made to the American Legion Gordon-Bissell Post #4, PO Box 682, Keene NH 03431-0682.