MASON CITY – Richard R. (Dick) Trezona passed on Sunday, the morning of Nov. 27, 2011, surrounded by his family at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit.
Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1405 S. Pennsylvania Avenue with the Rev. Steve Hansen and the Rev. Keith Scott officiating. Inurnment services will be held at a later date.
The Trezona family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. today, Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be directed to Trinity House of Hope Women’s Shelter, Northern Lights Men’s Homeless Shelter, or Wesley United Methodist Church Vision Fund. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.
Dick was born on Feb. 5, 1921, in Eveleth, MN son of Thomas and Ollie (White) Trezona. He graduated from Eveleth High School in 1939, where he was a member of the state championship hockey team. He graduated from Eveleth Junior College in 1941, where he trained as a pilot, and went on to Parks Air College in St. Louis, Missouri. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as first lieutenant from 1941-1946, primarily in the Pacific. Before shipping out, one of the things he was most proud of was teaching his fellow soldiers how to swim.
After the war, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota, graduating with a business degree. He was the first president of the Delta Chi fraternity after it was re-opened following the war. He married the love of his life, Janet Bymark Trezona, in 1947, building the foundation for his family of three children, Peggy, Tom, and Richard. He was a master salesman, first with B.F. Goodrich, then with Studebaker Automotive, then for 26 years with Curtis 1000 where he received many awards. Loyal alumnus of the University of Minnesota, he and his wife held season basketball and football tickets for over 30 years.
He was an active member of Wesley Methodist Church, including major fundraiser for the Sunday school addition, initiating Waffle Day, and arranging Men’s Club speakers for years. He officially retired at 66 but never became retiring, channeling his energy into causes that focused on serving those in need, and caring for his community. As an active Lion’s Club member, for almost two decades, he made house calls to those who couldn’t afford glasses. He worked on raising awareness in religious communities about the need for organ donation. He helped lead fund drives for the Prairie Playground and the municipal swimming pool. His awareness of the plight of the homeless started with the Lions Club and led to supporting and advocating for the homeless at the Northern Lights Homeless Shelter for men, and the Trinity House of Hope for women and children, including organizing a golf fundraiser at age 84. For many years,up until his death, he served on the Northern Lights Alliance for the Homeless Board. A lifelong progressive, he relished political debate, never shying away from expressing his beliefs. Not afraid of new challenges, he took up golf at age 66, playing every weekday with a foursome that lasted 15 years.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Janet; his children, Peggy (CJ), Tom (Mary Ann), Richard (Jennifer), and five granddaughters, Sarah, Jenny (Jason), Julia, Allison and Victoria. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Harriet (Pryor).