Richard James “Dick” Dukart, 89

Richard James “Dick” Dukart, 89, passed away on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at Valley Vista Care Center in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Dick was born June 12, 1925, in Dickenson, N.D., to Frank and Christine Dukart. Around 1935 the family moved to Yakima, Wash. While in high school, Dick started working for Snyder-Mailing Canning Co., building fruit boxes in the box yard after school.

Dick joined the Navy on June 9, 1943, and served in the South Pacific aboard the USS Sullivans as a GM2c. He received an honorable discharge on March 13, 1946, returned to Yakima and resumed work in the canning industry.

Dick met Alice Baker-Swofford, a WWII widow, and they were married in 1947. He adopted her young son, Michael. Dick and Alice had three more children - Christine, Becky, and Debbie.

The cannery Dick worked for entered into the freezing business and was known as Birdseye-Snyder, later to become Birdseye Frozen Foods. In 1953, Dick was promoted to foreman and transferred to Hillsboro, Ore. In 1960, he was transferred to Walla Walla, Wash.

Dick was promoted again in 1976, and became manager of a new plant in Bettendorf, Iowa. He and Alice moved to Davenport, Iowa, living there until 1981, at which time he retired from General Foods after a 42 year career. Dick and Alice then moved to Spokane, Wash., to be closer to their children. They built a house at Priest Lake, Idaho, living there until 1999 when they built a house in Post Falls, Idaho, to be closer to medical facilities.

Dick enjoyed hunting, fishing and was an avid golfer. He was also a very good wood worker and enjoyed wood carving.

Dick was preceded in death by his wife, Alice; daughter, Becky; parents, Frank and Christine; and sister, Florence. He is survived by his son, Michael Dukart (Sharon), of Post Falls, Idaho; daughters: Christine Dukart, of Priest Lake, Idaho, and Debbie Hackworthy (Rob), of Sagle, Idaho; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; brother, Raymond Dukart; and several nieces and nephews.

A Rosary will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 17, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 601 S. Lincoln, Sandpoint, Idaho. A funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, July 18, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Mr. Dukart will then be laid to rest next to his wife, Alice, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane, Wash. Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Dick’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.