Let your light so shine. And thus did Richard Leyden Haeder. He lived a radiant life of kindness, intelligence and generosity. His luster was evident at an early age: at just four years old he assembled a light bulb; he was so excited to test it, but his motherenamored of her young son as she wasfeared just a little and convinced the young boy to wait for his father to return home before turning it on. The fact that it worked was not a surprise; Richard was smart. He was a Renaissance man whose interests reached far and whose abilities were numerous. Graduating from Wolsey High School (Wolsey, SD) in 1957, Mr. Haeder set the athletic and academic standard by which future Haeders who graduated from there would be judged. He ran track in high school and college, and he scored the winning point as the buzzer rang when Wolsey won the regional basketball championship in 1955. The next day, the Daily Plainsman (Huron, SD) ran a cover photo of Mr. Haeder's winning shot! He graduated from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering. In the summer of 1961, after graduating with his B.S., he worked as an inspector on the Minuteman Missile silos in western South Dakota. In 1964 he graduated with a law degree from Georgetown University Law School. To finance law school he balanced three jobs: he was a patent inspector at the United States Trademark and Patent Office, he wrote press releases for the Natural Gas Association, and he worked a patronage job on the United States Senate elevators, escorting the likes of Vice President Lyndon Johnson, who, notorious for antagonizing, got Mr. Haeder's goad. A tiff between Mr. Haeder and the vice president was avoided thanks to a Secret Service friend. Upon graduating Mr. Haeder clerked on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. While working the elevators in the Capitol, Mr. Haeder met a fellow westerner, Judy Gerrard, who worked for Senator Hubert Humphrey. They dated, tooling around in his convertible (invariably ending up at Gifford's ice cream shop in Washington, DC), before Mr. Haeder was commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Army. Fulfilling his ROTC commitment, he shipped off to South Korea as a procurement officer, securing jungle boots for soldiers who fought in Vietnam. Shortly after arriving in Korea, he called Ms. Gerrard and kept her on the phone until she promised to come to Korea. In May 1965, the two married at the home of the American ambassador to South Korea; their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake City LDS temple. When Mr. Haeder's tour ended, he and his wife moved to Portland, Oregon, where he designed their home, creating a universal design floor plan long before the concept came into vogue. Throughout his career as an attorney, he also worked pro bono, helping those in need with legal matters. After moving to Rapid City he was an active member of the community, saving the historic Price House from demolition. He was the attorney representing the group that successfully designated the parkland around Skyline Drive to become wilderness area. He served on the board of Rapid City Regional Hospital for seven years with four of those years as Chairman of the Board. He was the only South Dakotan ever to serve on the American Hospital Association's Committee on Governance and the AARP National Board. He provided leadership and insight as a member of the Rapid City Public Library board. One of his great joys was speaking in his daughters' classes, teaching students about the metric system, and serving as a discussion leader for Junior Great Books at Wilson Elementary School. He taught Gospel Doctrine classes in Sunday school. People clamored to get a seat to attend his lessons. He served as a counselor in the Bishopric of the Rapid City Second Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Growing up on a dairy farm with no running water or electricity, Mr. Haeder rose at 4:00 in the morning with his father and brothers to milk cows 365 days per year; with dairy cows, you couldn't take a day off. He thirsted for knowledge that would broaden his horizons beyond the farm. He was an avid reader; he was a fan of author John O'Hara, whose books influenced Mr. Haeder's taste in Oriental rugs, Federal-period furniture and Georgian era sterling silver. Over the course of many years he owned a number of motorcycles and enjoyed riding through the Black Hills. He and his wife loved sipping homemade hot cocoa in the evenings. Both he and his son, with whom he shared an especially loving bond, flew model airplanes. He thrilled listening to classical music, especially the works of Beethoven. He often listened to "Ode to Joy" over and over, taking joy in the majestic strains of that stirring piece. His greatest love of all was his family, putting his family first in all he did. Of his accomplishments and successes, it was his thoughtfulness, charm, integrity, and sincere humility and modesty that will be remembered most. He believed the best in everyone and demonstrated that in all he did, including marching on Washington with Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963, supporting women's rights, and defending his country with great patriotism. Mr. Haeder had a gentle sweetness that touched the hearts of everyone who met him. He was a blessing in the lives of many. On Friday, 29 August 2014, Mr. Haeder died at age 75 at Hospice House in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Richard Leyden Haeder, Jr., and is survived by his wife, Judy; two daughters, Connie and Valerie; and three brothers, Dewey, John and James. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in honor of Richard Haeder to the National Parkinson Foundation: National Parkinson Foundation Gift Processing Center, PO Box 5018, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5018, or Parkinson.org. His family is grateful to the loving care Hospice House gave to Mr. Haeder during his last days. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Visitation will be from 5 until 7 pm on Tuesday, 2 September 2014, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, 3 September 2014, at 11:00 am, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2822 Canyon Lake Drive in Rapid City. Interment will be in Evanston, Wyoming.