RICHARD NEIL DODGE

Richard Neil Dodge

November 9, 1945 - December 23, 2025

Richard Neil Dodge (80) passed away peacefully at Haven nursing home in Douglas on December 23, 2025, after a lengthy illness.  He was born on November 9, 1945, in Tucson, AZ, to Theodore Ayrault and Isabelle (Stebbins) Dodge.  He was third of four children, two girls and two boys: Eleanor, Janet (deceased), Richard, and Thomas.  The Dodge family was among the earliest members of the Baha’i community of Tucson.

Richard was preceded in death by his parents and sister Janet.  He is survived by his wife, Linda “Lea” (Andersen); his son and daughter by his first marriage to Constance Jo (Knight): Nathan William Dodge of Golden, CO; and Elisa Landreth (Scott) and three grandchildren: Damion, William, and Lily, of Ada, MI.

Richard graduated from Tucson High School in 1963.   He attended the University of Arizona and later transferred to the University of Wisconsin at Madison, graduating with a B.S. in Geography in 1968. He was then immediately drafted into the Army in 1968. He declared himself a conscientious objector on religious grounds.  After receiving special training as a Medical Corpsman, he was deployed to Vietnam where he served in the front lines.  A serious injury brought him back to the States to serve out his last year working at an Army hospital in Texas.  He was honorably discharged in 1970 having been awarded two Purple Hearts.

Richard enrolled in the U. of A. to continue his studies in Geography, earning an M.A. in 1973.  In his late 40’s he decided to work toward a higher degree in Geography, enrolling as a part-time student at University of Denver; he graduated with a Ph.D. in 1999.

Richard’s training in geography and related fields prepared him to work in various capacities: petroleum landman, USDA Contract Program Manager for Farmers Home Administration, and finally as a college instructor.  He taught Geography and Geology at Cochise College - Douglas; and Latin American history at U.A. - South. He also taught English as a Foreign Language at Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey in Cananea, Sonora; and geography at Thomas Alva Edison Secundaria, a private middle school in Hermosillo, Sonora.

Following his retirement from teaching, he volunteered his expertise with All Aboard Arizona, a non-profit organization promoting the expansion of railway passenger services in Arizona.  He served on boards of directors of Desert Rose Baha’i Institute and Douglas Historical Society, and was a member of the Douglas Rotary Club.  Throughout his life he served the Baha’i Faith in various ways, including leadership, scholarship, travel-teaching and homefront pioneering.

Richard was a gentleman and a scholar, with a dignified bearing and gentle sense of humor.  He loved maps, numbers, coffee, fast food, history and major league baseball.  He enjoyed interacting with all kinds of people, watching Colorado Rockies games, eating in restaurants, researching genealogy and traveling by car, train, and ship.  He longed to visit every country in the world.  He worked toward justice and world peace.  He practiced his Baha’i religion faithfully.  In his final days of declining health, he could no longer enjoy the things and activities that had given him pleasure.  He spiritually detached from this earthly material life and wished to move on to the next world of God.  We pray for the progress of his soul.

The Baha’i burial service will take place on Monday, January 5th at 1:00 p.m., at Calvary Cemetery in Douglas.  A Celebration of Life reception will follow at the Douglas-Williams House, 1001 D Ave., Douglas.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard’s name may be made to the Rotary Club of Douglas or to the Douglas Historical Society.     

The Distinguished Traveler ❤️🙏🏾

A world of mysteries shimmers before me, bathed in lights of glitter and gold.Within my heart rests a divine compass, guiding me through murky waters and storms.I set forth on a new adventure where every map converges upon a single road,a path where all journeys entwine into one.

To the seekers of adventure, to the hunters of treasure,I bid farewell for now, as I step into realms where words falter, and beauty beyond language awaits.This quest has long danced within my heart,its song rising from my lips like a hymn to destiny.

As I smooth the folds of my final attire and crown myself with my fedora,I leave you with a clue to my passage:Follow the fragrance of undivided truth,to where silent oil wells rest in the here and now.

Sully