Richard "Dick" GUTHRIE

1927 - 2021

GUTHRIE, Richard "Dick" 1927 - 2021 Dick Guthrie, age 94, passed away April 3rd, 2021. He was born January 23, 1927 on the family farm to the late Chauncey and Marjorie Guthrie in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Dick attended Bonners Ferry High School (Idaho), where he played many sports, including football, boxing, and baseball. He also sang in the chorus and played trumpet in the band. It was here, where Dick, the Bonners Ferry HS Student Body President, met the love of his life and future wife of 72 years, Barbara Reuter. The two began dating their junior year of high school and were married in 1947. After serving in the US Army, Dick returned to Spokane; where he attended and graduated from Whitworth College with a bachelor's degree and later, a master's degree in physical education. Dick taught "PE" and also coached wrestling to elementary, middle, and high school students in Spokane for 30 years. He was exceptionally physically fit and could keep up with any of his students. The high school sweethearts, Dick and Barb, resided in Spokane for the rest of their lives. Along the way, Dick and Barb raised their three children: Karen, Mark, and Jodi. In 1958 Dick built the family cabin at Priest Lake, Idaho, where the family spent their summers. Dick was known to spend hours each day taking the couples' three kids and their friends water skiing on the lake and he is also credited with teaching innumerable kids, and a few adults, how to water ski. In between passing down his "legendary" skiing skills to his pupils he and Barb still managed to find enough time to pick huckleberries all over Priest Lake to make jams, pies, and more. An avid outdoorsman, Dick loved hunting and fishing. He was quite fond of recounting his hunting adventures. The family might tell you that some were told so often, they could tell the stories themselves. Dick and Barbara could be found fishing into their nineties on the lakes around Spokane, and If you had the good fortune to go fishing with Dick, you would be certain to catch your limit. You might also find Dick out in his back yard smoking the fish they caught, or working in his garden. He also loved his snow blower and continued to clear all of the neighbor's sidewalks until he was ninety. In addition to the persistent love shown for his family, Dick will be fondly remembered for his beautiful singing voice. A tenor like no other; if you had the opportunity to hear him sing, consider yourself blessed. He sang in numerous weddings and funerals throughout his life and was also a member of the choir of the Central Lutheran Church, where he and his wife were members for 72 years. We are certain that he is now singing with the angels! Dick is preceded in death by his beautiful wife Barbara Guthrie and is survived by his daughter Karen Guthrie-Mehlert (Ron Mehlert), son Mark Guthrie (Marilyn), daughter Jodi Guthrie-Marty (Lucky Marty), five grandchildren, Craig Crandall, Melissa Guthrie (Andrew Kirkby), Ben Guthrie (Naomi), Alex Marty (Angela Athey), and Max Marty, and three great-granddaughters, Ruthie and Marlo Kirkby and Cecilia Marty. Due to Covid, there will be no public service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Central Lutheran Church at 512 South Bernard St., Spokane, WA. 99204, in Memory of Dick Guthrie.