WESTERFIELD, Richard M. "Dick" - 1915-2012
WESTERFIELD, STITH, SAVERY, WEST, TURNER, JAHNKE, MOORE, PELLETT
Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 6/16/2018 at 17:09:38
SOURCE: THE FAYETTE COUNTY UNION, West Union, Iowa newspaper, Wednesday, September 12, 2012, P.B-6
Contributor: Connie Ellis (Not related)FORMER LONGTIME UNION EDITOR AND PUBLISHER DIES
Richard M. "Dick" Westerfield, age 97, of Sun City, Arizona, formerly of West Union, Iowa, died Sunday, September 2, 2012 in Sun City. No services are planned in keeping with Dick's wishes. Dick is survived by his wife of nearly 74 years, Jannes; two daughters Sara West of Mt. Hermon, California and Jane Turner of Bedford, Texas, and a son Dr. Monte Westerfield and his wife Kay (Jahnke) Westerfield of Eugene, Oregon; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister Frances (Westerfield) Moore.
Richard Monte Westerfield, the son of Charles Mansfield and Kate (Stith) Westerfield, was born February 16, 1915 in Denver, Colorado. He grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he graduated from Washington High School. He attended the University of Iowa where he was president of his senior class in Liberal Arts; president of AFL, predecessor of Omicron Delta Kappa; president of his social fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, and of the Dolphin Club whose annual show helped fund University team costs in those Depression Years. While at the University Dick was a backstroker for Iowa's first-ever Big Ten Championship swim team in 1936. He earned All-American honors all three years in which athletes were allowed to compete at that time. He held an NCAA record for the 150-yard backstroke. He was captain of the swim team in his senior year.
Following his graduation from the University of Iowa, Dick married Jannes Savery on September 24, 1938. The couple had met in college. Jannes was the daughter of Clarence and Olive (Pellett) Savery of Atlantic, Iowa. Dick joined his father and Tom Powell, a Cedar Rapids friend, in purchasing The Fayette County Union newspaper business in West Union. He went on to serve as its editor and publisher for 50 years, making the newspaper a consistent winner of state and national awards for excellence. He also owned interests in newspapers at Anamosa, Iowa and Independence, Iowa. Dick served on boards and as president of both the Iowa Press Association (IPA) and the National Newspaper Association (NNA). He was named a Master Editor Publisher by IPA and was given the Amos Award by NNA, the two highest honors afforded by those organizations. Dick represented NNA on the Postmaster General's Advisory Committee under three postmaster generals. During his tenure the nation's system of zip codes was established. He was a prime mover in organizing Graphics, Inc., a central printing plant for a combined group of Northeast Iowa newspapers and served as the initial president of the corporation.
Richard M. Westerfield was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II. He served aboard the destroyer Smedley D. Butler, DD 636, during the invasions of Normandy and Southern France. The ship was then converted to a destroyer-minesweeper and swept the waters off Okinawa eight days before that invasion. The ship was subsequently sent north to serve on radar picket duty between Okinawa and Japan downing seven enemy planes before it was hit by a kamikaze, suffering great damage and loss of life. It was patched up at Okinawa and was on its way back to the States when it was learned that it had been awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for its gallant defense of Okinawa. The war ended on that trip home and Dick's last duty was in the Navy Department Headquarters in Washington D.C.
During the 12 year period of 1969-1981, Dick and his wife, Jannes traveled widely. On many of their trips abroad they led NNA study missions on which they met and interviewed heads of state or cabinet level officials in over 40 nations of the world. For many years Dick served on the Board of Trustees for Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Most of that service was as its chairman. In 1975 Upper Iowa University named him an Honorary Doctor of Letters.
An ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church USA, he served in that capacity for both his church in West Union and Faith Presbyterian Church in Sun City, Arizona. He was active in Bell Recreation Center Silvercraft and Lapidary Clubs. Dick served as an officer and board member of the former. He served as chairman of his condominium and president of the ExPRESS Club of Arizona.
Since 1983, Dick and Jannes have made their home in Sun City where Dick resumed competitive swimming after a 47 year hiatus. At the age of 75 he won seven national championships in the backstroke and individual medley events. He then competed in the World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where he won gold medals in the 200 and 400 meter individual medleys. Fifteen years later Dick joined three other then 90-year-olds to set world records in the 200-meter freestyle and medley relays and won individual national titles in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke.
Fayette Obituaries maintained by Constance Diamond.
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