Richard Dykstra

Richard Peter Dykstra FORT COLLINS - Born on June 20, 1943, in Paterson, NJ, to Richard and Rena (Damsma) Dykstra, Richard was welcomed into heaven on April 24, 2024, at Poudre Valley Hospital, surrounded by his loving family at the age of 80. Richard is lovingly remembered by his wife, Linda Heigold; his children Jeff (Holly) Dykstra of Windsor, CO; Marc (Chasity) Dykstra of Ten Sleep, WY; and Denise (Terry) Martin of Aurora, CO. He also leaves behind his stepchildren - Fred (Stephanie) Heigold of Denver, CO and Aimee Heigold of Portland, OR, along with his eight grandchildren; Ryan, Cameron, Aidan, Ian, Breckyn, June, Brooklyn, Miles, and his great-grandchild, JaCory Jr. He is survived by siblings Ruth Evenhouse, Ida Hazen, Lois O'Rourke, and brother Ken Dykstra. He was preceded in death by his parents. Having moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1976, Richard engaged in various careers, most notably co-owning and operating EnviroPest with his wife, Linda, and son, Marc, from 1991 - 2020. Richard was always eager to improve his home, taking pride in numerous projects. Richard was a member of Faith Church in Fort Collins. His desire to be more like Jesus was reflected in his dedicated service as a prayer warrior and his 20 years with the Gideons Ministry as the State Scripture Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Association, where he organized the distribution of Bibles throughout Colorado and Wyoming. Known for his generosity, readiness to forgive, and give second chances, Richard left a lasting impact on everyone he met. He served in the US Army and was an honorably discharged Vietnam veteran. A private service for the family will take place at Fort Logan National Cemetery on May 17th, with a Celebration of Life service scheduled for August 9th at 11 :00 am at Faith Church in Fort Collins. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Gideons International, PO Box 1772, Fort Collins, CO 80522 or ReFrame Ministries (formerly known as Back to God Ministries International) 1700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids, Ml 49508; ReFrameMinistries.org. His life truly embodied the wisdom of Proverbs 11 :25: "A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed ."