Richard Byron Bellig(1935-2022)

BELLIG, EYKYN, JOHNSON

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 7/8/2022 at 07:37:41

Richard Byron Bellig (Mr Bee), 87, passed away peacefully July 3rd 2022. He was at home surrounded by the love of his family.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Bettendorf. Burial will follow, at Rock Island Arsenal Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at Sunrise Golf Course from 11:15 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 11th at Halligan McCabe DeVries Funeral Home in Davenport, and Tuesday July 12 from 9:00 - 10:00 am at the church.

Richard Byron Bellig (Mr Bee) was born on May 29, 1935 in the small town of Springfield in southwestern Minnesota to Bert and Gladys (Eykyn) Bellig. He was the second of five children who grew up on the family farm. Being the only boy, he enjoyed teasing his sisters relentlessly. Dick grew up in Wanda, Minnesota, graduating from Sanborn High School in 1953. He was a good student and a multi-sport athlete. He was captain of the football and basketball teams. He would have played varsity baseball too, but was ineligible as he was playing semipro baseball starting when he was a sophomore.

Dick enlisted in the Air Force immediately after graduating high school. He served during the Korean War, from 1953-1957. He was trained as a radio technician and was stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany. He was fortunate and he did not see any combat. In fact, he got to travel throughout Europe as he was the captain of the base’s baseball team and playing in the US Armed Forces Base’s League.

Dick returned home and married his best friend and sweetheart, Kay Rae Johnson on October 23, 1957. He also enrolled in college at Mankato State in 1957. He graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science in Teaching-Business Education. Kay and Dick also left college with three children; Steve, Jim, and Mary. He worked full-time while going to college and was also manager/player for the Mapleton, MN baseball team, while Kay also worked and was very busy with the kids. John came along a couple of years later.

Dick started his career as a salesman for Rexall Drug in Wausau, WI. He spent 6 years working for them, transferring to Bartlett, IL before moving to the Quad Cities to make their home. He then went to work at Schlegel Drug, which was bought by Haag Drug, where he spent 14 years. Beginning in 1982 he owned and operated Mr. Bee’s Tavern in Davenport where he made countless lifelong friends and employed many Marycrest students who will never forget the fun they had at the iconic “Mr. Bee’s”. Much to the dismay of the patrons, He retired after 15 years. In retirement, to keep busy, he mowed and tended bar at Sunrise Golf Course and also spent many hours solving the problems of this world at coffee with his treasured friends at HyVee.

Dick was a devoted family man. He was always playing/coaching the neighbor kids football/baseball/basketball. Most neighborhood kids learned how to hit a baseball, throw a football, etc.; in our backyard. Kids would ask for him to play instead of us! His best times were playing golf with his sons and grandson and spoiling his granddaughters. He organized the annual Mr. Bee’s Biloxi Open which was always anticipated by his many friends. An annual Canada fishing trip made for some epic bonding experiences with his sons, grandson and buddies. He was known far and wide for telling elaborate jokes and stories, and playing an “occasional” practical joke on his buddies.

Dick is survived by his wife of 64 years, Kay; their children, Jim (Sue), Mary (Rob) Hamilton, John (Audra Knox); sisters, Kathy Gores, Trish (Jim) Cleary; brother and sister-in-law, Stan and Sandy Peichel; His beloved grandchildren: Heather (Brett) Allen, Samantha (Blake) Letney, Shelby (Eric) Bergman, Stephen Bellig and Johanna Bellig; and great grandchildren Carter Allen, Ryker and Asher Letney, and twin Allen great-grandsons to be born this fall. Also missing him are many beloved nieces, nephews and cherished friends who will never forget his love, kindness and energy.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Steven; sisters, Marge Bellig and Rita Bradley; brothers-in-law, Robert Bradley and Gerald Gores.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Steve Bellig Memorial Scholarship/Bettendorf Wrestling Club, PO Box 309 Bettendorf, IA 52722.