Richard 'Al' Wise, 78

Richard Allyn “Al” Wise passed into eternal rest on Jan. 8, 2013, at his home in Mead, Wash.

Al was born Dec. 12, 1934, in San Francisco, Calif., to Lawrence and Margaret Wise.

He had all of his formal education in northern California, obtaining his law degree from the University of San Francisco. He served in the U.S. military from September 1952 to March 1954.

Al is remembered by his Idaho friends for all of his help in assisting with the training and development of football, baseball and softball officials. A number of Coeur d’Alene residents presently officiating in the Pac 12 and Big Sky football conferences were protégés of Al. For his dedication, Al was enshrined in the North Idaho Sports Officials Hall of Fame.

He also took delight in telling endless stories of his experiences as a referee in the National Football League as well as an official for top notch high school and major college sports.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash.