Richard D. Heywood

Richard D. Heywood, affectionately known as Dick to family and friends, passed away at the age

of 90 on February 13, 2025, at the Good Samaritan Society-Auburn.

On a muddy day, September 1, 1934, Mabel Lavina Adams found herself in labor, while Everett

Eldon Heywood called for the doctor. The doctor, unable to reach their home because of the

mud, required the assistance of Everett, who had to leave his wife’s side to pick up the physician

and race him back to deliver Richard.

Dick was united in marriage to Janyce Bohling on November 23, 1956. They were married by

Pastor Kolm in the Hickory Grove Lutheran Church, a marriage that would span 68 years during

his lifetime. They had 4 children and 12 grandchildren. These include: daughter, Debbie Klotz,

her children, Nathan, John, and Amy; son, Mark Heywood, his children Ashley, Amanda, and

Grant; son, Michael Heywood, and his child Cade; and daughter Kristy Mertes, her children

Kelli, Ryan, Trent, Lindsey, and Kara. Dick loved his wife and he also dearly loved his children

and grandchildren. His love for his grandchildren took him on many road trips attending games

and activities.

Dick attended Brush College country school and Peru Prep, (for his early education) and later

Peru State College where he graduated in 1958. He took his first teaching position in the village

of Barneston, Nebraska. Dick later obtained a teaching job in Dunbar, Nebraska. After a few

years, Dick returned to Auburn, Nebraska, accepting a teaching position in Nebraska City at the

Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped in 1963, where he remained until his retirement

in 1999.

Richard always told you the truth, even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. He was known for

his lack of patience, not holding back his opinion, and for his knack for telling it how he saw it.

Famously opinionated and short-tempered, he referred to some as “Bozo”, and was very

comfortable in bluntly (and loudly) giving coaches and referees plenty of advice. He was a

highly proficient writer of stern letters when he was not happy, and the author of many humorous

annual Christmas letters filled with the past year's events that highlighted his wife, children, and

grandchildren. His Christmas letters will be missed by the masses he distributed them to. He was

a connoisseur of butterfingers, black licorice, and lots of soda. He was generous to a fault, and

yet he sugar-coated absolutely nothing. To quote Winston Churchill: “He was a riddle, wrapped

in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Dick took fashion advice from no one. With his trademark white

t-shirts and strategically coiffed comb-over, his comfort far outweighed any interest in the latest

fashion trends.

His hobbies in life can be summarized into three main categories: the outdoors, beagles, and

sports. His farm in Peru was his peace. He loved nothing more than to be outdoors tending to his

critters. He would feed his chickens, ducks, beagles, walkers, cats, cows, and would still make

time to consider the foxes when he would leave dog food out for them as well. He was so gentle

he would never harm a spider…Instead of using his boot, he would rather grab a jar and escort

them outside his own home to safety. Richard was a member of the Beagle Club and prided

himself on his farm pets. He may have never wanted to show them the affection of a pet, but he

had a name for every one of his animals. Sports were always a conversation staple for him.

Naturally, he was a die-hard Huskers fan. He was the first to call a bad play, and would

sometimes chuck his, “Bad call brick” at the television set along with an, “Oh goll, that was a

terrible call!”. He would watch anything from football, baseball, wrestling, horse racing, bull

riding, and everything in between. This obsession with sports turned him into quite the night owl,

with many late phone calls to his family and friends to discuss these matters with. These three

things gave him peace.

In the last few years, Dick’s had many falls, once dislocating his shoulder, requiring it to be put

back in place, without pain medication. He was stubborn to his core, and his devout feistiness

(and stubbornness) served him well throughout his life. Even in his waning months, he was a

model of strong will and sheer determination right up until the end of his journey here on earth.

Preceding Dick in death were his parents Everett and Mabel Heywood, brother, Glen Heywood,

and sister, Norma “Jean” Allen. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by many

friends, neighbors, and coworkers, but especially missed by his wife, children, grandchildren, and the "Bozos".