Richard Duane "Dick" Lemke passed away on June 25, 2024 in Rapid City, South Dakota at the age of 87. He was born in Minot, North Dakota on October 3, 1936 to Myrtle and Melvin Lemke. He was raised there mostly by his maternal grandparents, Emma and Engle Bjornson. He graduated from Minot Model High School in 1955, where he played football and sang in the choir. While at Minot State Teacher's College, he started on the football offensive line for the Beavers and was a counselor at the YMCA. He also joined the North Dakota National Guard in which he served for ten years, including one year of active duty at Fort Riley, Kansas during the Berlin Crisis. He earned a master's degree in physical education at the University of Oregon and an Ed.D. from the University of Northern Colorado. He married JoAnn Kerr in Minot on May 30, 1959. They had three children, twin daughters Alison and Lizbeth and son Mark. Dick taught history and physical education and coached many sports at high school and college levels during his long career. He enjoyed all sports and the athletes he coached, but his passion was football. He coached several high school football teams in Oregon and North Dakota, including a conference championship team in Crosby, ND. He was the offensive line and special teams coach at Western State College, Gunnison, CO during years when the team won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship and reached the NAIA playoffs numerous times, and head football coach at Culver Stockton College, Canton, MO where he re-built the program. After his retirement, he helped to coach the Rapid City Red Dogs arena football team and accepted head coaching duties for 2005. During retirement, Dick and JoAnn enjoyed the Black Hills, family visits, keeping up with their grandchildren's interests, and following their preferred sports teams. They were thrilled to cheer for Iowa Hawkeye football during 2017-18 when their grandson Nick started at wide receiver. Dick was known for his enduring mental toughness. He had a remarkable determination to just keep on going, no matter what. Not infrequently, he reminded his children and grandchildren during generous holiday meals that he often had nothing to eat but potatoes as a child. He was joyfully grateful for simple pleasures, like eating a hotdog while watching the Chicago Cubs on TV. "Grandpa Coach" was an example of personal integrity, leadership through teamwork, and belief in the importance of education and opportunities for everyone. He told the story of his growing-up years in Minot in a memoir, A Water Boy's Story, and authored a football-inspired novel, The Intersection (2010). He is survived by his wife JoAnn Kerr Lemke, son Mark, daughter Lizbeth Lemke and son-in-law Dan Feiertag and her children, Grace (Ben) Green and Phera Galhotra, and daughter and son-in-law Alison Lemke and John Easley and their sons Matthew (Sidney Burds) and Nicholas Easley. He was predeceased by his parents, grandparents, special aunt and uncle Ruth Bjornson Yoder and Otis Yoder, and his siblings Diane, Donald, Daryl, and James.

Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday July 14, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with a service following at 4:00 pm.

Interment will be on Monday, July 15, at Pine Lawn Memorial Park.