Richard Charles Koenig

Obituary Richard Charles Koenig Oct. 13, 1929 ?" Sept. 19, 2009 Richard Charles Koenig died peacefully at his Key Center home late Saturday evening, Sept. 19, 2009. He passed on in the presence of several of his children and will join his wife, Joan, in the sheltering arms of God. He is survived by his eight children: Mike, Joe, Serena, Kelan, Andrea, Dave, Pam, and Quin, eight grandchildren, his brother, Ted Koenig, and sister, Barbara Raabe. Richard was born in Tacoma on Oct. 13, 1929, attended Stadium High School, and studied forestry at the University of Washington, graduating with his B.S. in 1954. The following year, he married Joan, his wife of 40 years, and they traveled together to New Haven, Connecticut, where he earned a Master's in Forestry from Yale in 1956. Richard worked as a forester in Oregon and cruised timber in the coastal range during the late 50s, before beginning a second career as an Electrical Engineer, specializing in pulp and paper. Richard remained a loyal employee of Weyerhaeuser for most of his working life. Richard deeply grieved the loss of Joan in 1996, but found solace and joy working his 53-acres of Christmas trees, accompanied by his beloved Boxers, Nellie and then Becky. Richard fought valiantly against cancer during his final two years of life and worked on his land up until the end. Richard will be remembered by his loved ones as an uncomplaining man of deep integrity who loved the natural world and who imparted this love to his children on many backpacking trips into Mt. Rainier National Park and other special places in the Cascade Range. Funeral Mass will be held for Richard at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Tacoma on Thursday, September 24, 2009, at 11:00 am. A Rosary will be recited at Gaffney Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 pm.