Richard (Dick) Maxwell, 80 years old, Dick passed away on March 27, 2023, after battling Parkinson’s. Dick was born in Chicago in 1943 to Anne (Hopkins) and Ralph (Babe) Maxwell, raised alongside his beloved cousin, the late Bruce Hopkins.
Dick met the love of his life, Jeri, in 1961, meeting as teenagers in a bowling alley. After serving in the Army, Dick returned to Chicago during the Blizzard of 1967 and married Jeri that Spring. They spent fifty-six happy years together, raising their two children – Ann and Paul – and camping, throwing parties, playing cards, drinking beer, and traveling. A master carpenter, Dick crafted toys, furniture, and houses, among other things, and he enjoyed a career running a pattern shop in the steel mills. Known as much for his giant heart as he was for his handyman skills, Dick never finished a phone call to family or friends without an “I love you.” His warmth and generosity were legendary, his laugh capacious, his banana pancakes exquisite.
Along with his two children--Ann and her husband Mike (Reust), Paul and his wife, Irene--Dick is survived by Jeri, and by his favorite (and only) granddaughter, Yana.
Visitation at Moeller Funeral Home (104 Roosevelt Rd, Valparaiso) from 3-7 p.m. on Monday, April 3rd will be followed by funeral services on Tuesday, April 4th at 10 a.m., St. Elizabeth Seton (509 W. Division, Valparaiso). In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in memory of Dick to UNICEF (www.unicefusa.org).
GUESTBOOK
My sincere condolences for the loss of Richard (Dick) Maxwell. I had the honor of him being my uncle. I was blessed to have two excellent role models of men in my life: my dad and my Uncle Dick.
From the earliest I can remember, my Uncle Dick was kind and generous and friendly and caring. Before youtube, Uncle Dick was my go to person for any kind of home repair or problem, except drywall (he hired drywallers) and wallpaper (Aunt Jeri's department). He flew out to CA in the middle of winter to help my husband, Paul, and me build a huge walk in closet for our house. He even babysat Ryan and taught him (5 1/2 years old) to swing a hammer while Paul and I went to a childbirth class for Eric (later born that May). Uncle Dick would be proud of the closet organizer Ryan built in his own house 21 years later. As Eric grew, Uncle Dick helped Eric make a wooden Coke Bottle race car for Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby. That car still wins races in the adult / sibling category as recently as January 2023. It is the car the adults and siblings try to beat. Uncle Dick said it needed a final touch - a beer bottle top on the nose of the car. He cracked open a beer "to help the cause". We changed BEER to BEAR (Eric was a Bear Cub) and the car looked great! Thank you for being a good and loving man, Uncle Dick. I know our Lord has welcomed you to Heaven with wide open arms and perfected your body back to when (as my dad would say) you "were as stong as an ox." -Linda Van Eck Shepard
From The Wolfies (Ann’s Book Group): We send infinite love to Dick and all his family. I (Julie) have such lovely memories of Dick and Jerry at the Oak Park house for big dinners, wedding prep, fix-it projects (seems Dick could fix anything), and hear him now telling a camping story about dear Jerry and calling Ann: Annie. How can the way someone pronounces a name convey such deep love? It did so, each time. Wishing for peace now and know that love and grief are the same coin. We send Dick off with a deeply reverent howl…Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu -Julie Gibson
Old high school friend. Just heard. Lots of good times at Fenger. Condolences to his family, -Douglas Lemieux
