Richard Eldon "Dick" Bretschneider

Richard "Dick" Eldon Bretschneider February 29, 1924 - February 21, 2009 A good measure of a man is the friends he has kept, and the family he has made. In this, Dick Bretschneider had success most can only aspire to. "Bret," as many knew him, was quick to make long-lasting friendships, a giving man always ready to lend a hand to someone in need. And by example he passed these values along to his sons, who all grew up to be men he was proud of. Dick was born in Youngstown Ohio, a son to third generation German-American immigrants, who ran a pharmacy. He was a leap-year baby, and the youngest of three boys. He grew up during the depression and eventually found himself in service in the United States Navy aboard the Mahan class Destroyer USS Lamson during World War II. In combat in the Guadalcanal, the Lamson took a crippling hit from a Japanese kamikaze plane. Wounded, Dick spent hours in the water before being rescued and eventually transferred to a hospital where he was awarded a Purple Heart and other medals. He was fiercely proud of being an American Veteran, and carried shrapnel from his wounds for the rest of his life. Discharged from the service, he returned to Ohio State University and completed a degree in business. Looking for a change in his life, he moved to Los Angeles California in the early 1950's and began a career with Thrifty Drug Stores as a store manager. Shortly afterwards he met and married Dorothy Dyche, a TWA flight attendant from Watsonville, CA. Within a few years they had three sons. Shortly after that they took an opportunity to move to San Jose where Dick would manage a new store and new life. Dick managed several Thrifty stores for the next thirty years in what was becoming the Silicon Valley, training dozens of employees and making even more friends. Eventually he decided to change careers and joined the Levitz furniture store as a salesman, eventually retiring in the 90's. Dick loved to travel around America. Twice he drove the family across the United States, giving his children first-hand experience of the nation, its history, and its people. He would regularly take his sons camping, and taught them to fish and hunt. He was a fearless handyman, making any number of household repairs and enhancements, and introduced his sons to those skills as well. He also enjoyed traveling around the country to reunions of veterans from the USS Lamson, and discovered e-mail earlier than most of his generation as a way of keeping in touch. But retirement wasn't simply a case of increasing vacation time for Dick. He continued to work hard, giving back to the community in many substantial ways. For many years he drove around the Cambrian area in his truck, canvassing local grocery stores for day-old produce and bakery goods, which he would then ferry to various local food banks. Dick and Dorothy worked together over several decades at the Santa Clara County Fair, a summer activity the whole family took part in, and they eventually managed the Agriculture and Horticulture exhibit buildings. Dick loved the fair. Volunteerism was habitual for him, and Dick found a role at the San Jose Historical Museum, recreating the medicine show wagon acts for the entertainment of visitors. The patter and jokes he performed at museum events entertained hundreds of children and their parents. Although quite frail for the last few years, Dick was always very interested in his friends and family's well-being and success. He was very proud to have three healthy and happy families come from his family. He is survived by wife Dorothy, his three sons; Richard and wife Debbie, Ronald and wife Jackie, and William and wife Holly, as well as five grandchildren Justin, Michelle, Neal, Lane and Carly. Dick will be dearly missed by friends and family. A memorial service will be held at 3PM this Thursday, February 26th, at the Campbell United Methodist Church at 1675 Winchester Blvd. Campbell, CA. The family has asked that anyone wishing to remember Dick through donations do so to the charity of your choice.