Richard Rex "Dick" Bjornstad

BJORNSTAD, Richard Rex "Dick", age 64 was a 41-year resident of Sierra Vista, Arizona before recently moving to Vail, Arizona. He was taken from us after a long battle with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) on April 2, 2010, while undergoing a stem cell transplant at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dick was born on July 6, 1945 in Worthington, Minnesota to Marvel and Fredrick Bjornstad. He attended Worthington High School, Worthington Junior College, and received a BS in Mathematics from Bemidji State College in 1967. While at Bemidji State he played baseball for the Beavers and was known as a great hitter with fleet feet. Upon graduation, he accepted a job teaching math and science at Buena High School in Sierra Vista, and then was drafted into the Army in October 1968. During a massive snowstorm on December 23, 1968, Dick married the love of his life, Barbara Griffith while on leave after basic training. In May 1969, he was sent to Vietnam for 13 months, returning as a Specialist 5. Dick and Barb returned to Sierra Vista to continue teaching until his retirement in 1997. While in Sierra Vista he was active with his sons in Little League and playing golf. He was an avid Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Wildcats fan, and enjoyed reading, doing crosswords, traveling and relaxing on the beach in Mexico with his family. Dick is survived by his wife, Barbara Jean Bjornstad; son, Brody Richard Bjornstad (Amy) and grandson, Cooper James Bjornstad of Peoria, Illinois; son, Brett Kenneth Bjornstad of Henderson, Nevada; two sisters, Bonnie Rogers (Mel) and Ruth Godfrey (Tom); an aunt and uncle and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Dick was preceded in death by his mother and father, Marvel and Fred Bjornstad and his stepfather, Lewis "Mac" McEldowney. Visitation will be Thursday, April 8, 2010 from 5:00 -8:00 p.m. at Hatfield Funeral Home, 830 S. Hwy. 92, Sierra Vista. Funeral Services will be Friday, April 9, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at Sierra Vista Community United Church of Christ, 240 Hwy 90 Bypass, with Pastor Patricia Dickson officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Carondelet St. Joseph's TOPS Unit which provided Dick with loving care and blood transfusions for the past two years. The address is Carondelet Foundation, St. Joseph's TOPS Unit, 120 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85617. Please take care to specify the TOPS Unit. Arrangements are by Hatfield Funeral Home.