Richard A. ""Dick"" Trainer

Richard A. 'Dick' Trainer, age 75, of Wabasha, formerly of Forest Lake, died Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Wabasha after collapsing while walking with his daughter and his dog near his home. He was born Aug. 6, 1939, in Lyndon Station, Wis, the son of James and Ruth (Sannes) Trainer. He was a 1957 graduate of Sparta High School in Sparta, Wis. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army, serving most of his time in Germany. Following his service he furthered his education at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he graduated with a BA degree in Business Administration, majoring in accounting. He later attained his MBA at the University of Minnesota. He married Ann Stauff on Sept. 1,1962 in Allouez, Wis.

Dick worked for Medtronic and Honeywell in the Twin Cities and then started his accounting and financial planning firm in Forest Lake. The firm has been in existence for 30-plus years. He was an active member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in West Albany, rural Millville. He also was a member of several professional organizations. The couple moved to Wabasha in 1997.

Known to his family as "The R.A.T.", Dick was FULL OF LIFE.  He possessed great knowledge and enthusiasm for all things Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Gophers. His hobbies included biking, canoeing, camping, skiing and spending time in the great outdoors. He also was an accomplished woodworker. He was a true Norwegian.

He is survived by his wife, Ann Trainer, Wabasha; son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Donna Trainer, Silverthorne, Colo.; daughter, Melissa Trainer, Boulder, Colo.; two grandchildren, Josephina Ann Elowsky and Jay Wyatt Elowsky, both of Boulder, Colo.; brother, Father Eugene Trainer, Wilton, Wis.; sisters and brothers-in-law, Marcia and Don Sandeen, Portola, Calif., Margaret 'Peg' and Ron Hedrick, Wilton, Wis., Mary Sheppard, Ashland, Wis.; nieces and nephews; and his beloved dog, Honey Dew.  He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Ruth Trainer, brother, David Trainer and brother-in-law, Richard Sheppard.

A memorial Mass will be offered on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014, at noon at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in West Albany with the Reverend Fathers Eugene Trainer and Joseph Pete officiating. Interment will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Lyndon Station, Wis., at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. Family and friends may call at the church on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of service. The Abbott Funeral Home of Wabasha is in charge of arrangements.  www.abbottfh.com