Richard C. "Dick" Tharp

Richard C. "Dick" Tharp, age 75, of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away peacefully at 11:25 a.m., Thursday, January 23, 2014, at home surrounded by his loving daughters after a brief battle with cancer. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, at the Church of the Resurrection, 4300 Asbury Road, with Rev. Gary A. Mayer officiating. To celebrate Dick's life friends may visit from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Monday, January 27, 2014, at Behr Funeral Home, 1491 Main St. where there will be a parish wake service said at 5:30 p.m. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Dick was born on May 15, 1938, in Waterloo, Iowa, son of Carl and Mary (Bullard) Tharp. Dick served with the U.S. Navy. He married Rosemary Leick ,the love of his life, on June 10, 1961, at the Immaculate Conception Church in North Buena Vista, Iowa. She preceded him in death on February 11, 1998. Dick was employed at the John Deere Dubuque Works for 34 years until his retirement. He was a member of the Church of the Resurrection, Local 94 Retirees, John Deere Retirees and the Mississippi Walleye Club. In his free time Dick enjoyed fishing, listening to country music, traveling, spending time with family and watching NASCAR. He attended many NASCAR events in Charlotte, NC, and stock car races locally. Dick helped organize the Tharp family reunion in 2012, and loved to spend time with his children, grandchildren and siblings. His stories, quirky sense of humor and ability to find fun in any situation was well known and will be greatly missed. We know he got on the right bus. Dick is survived by, his daughters, Sherry (Terry) Evarts, Dubuque, IA, Cindy (Matthew) Cortelli, Waxhaw, NC, Lisa (Randy) Tharp, Holiday, FL, his 4 grandchildren, Wayne Tharp, Shelby Evarts, Rosemary Cortelli and Ava Cortelli, his siblings, Linda (Arthur) Penhollow, Washington, NC, Sharon (Fred) Brenke, Dubuque, IA, Lori (Joe) Reisen, Dodgeville, WI, Clarence Tharp, Lone Tree, IA, Michael Tharp, Lone Tree, IA, Robert Tharp, Dubuque, IA, his special cousins, Martha Heister, Barb Shirley, David Tharp and Geno Tharp. Dick was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rosemary Tharp, his parents, 2 brothers, Monte and William Tharp and his step-mother, Shirley Tharp. The family would like to thank Tammy and Kelly Rundle, Jeff and Roxy Tharp, Dick's neighbors, Tony and Kerry and Hospice of Dubuque, especially Diane and Amy, for their friendship and the wonderful care they gave to Dick.