Richard Gary Dronen

Loving father, husband, brother and friend to a lifelong list of people that live in a world made brighter by his sunny disposition, Dick (Richard) Dronen passed away January 12 at his home in MN surrounded by family. Dick was diagnosed with a rare cancer on February 8, 2022 and despite a courageous fight with all of our modern cancer therapies, the cancer and his underlying Parkinson's Disease ultimately prevailed.
Losing his biological father to the casualties of WWII days before his birth, Dick entered life in Fargo ND alongside his widowed mother Lillian and older brother Don and was later joined by his adopted father Myron and siblings Karen and Bruce. Following high school graduation in Fargo, Dick completed an Associate of Arts Degree in Printing at the North Dakota School of Science in Wahpeton. He furthered his education by enrolling in the Industrial Arts teaching program at Moorhead State in MN.
Ever the chatterbox and tease, Dick had the special ability to connect and make people feel at ease. His easy laugh and devious grin beheld a sense of humor and bubbly personality. These were the signature traits that a young Peggy found attractive when they first met at a Detroit Lakes dancehall. Dick married the love of his life, Peggy Olson, in 1967 and moved to the Twin Cities where together they established a family of their own with son Blake and daughters Laura and Kari. Their humble home at 523 Ely St in Fridley was a beehive of activity for over 3 decades. Dick was an active father and community member regularly volunteering at church, school events, Scouts, PTA and coaching of kid sports. When not volunteering, he could be found in the middle of home DIY improvement projects or in his basement woodshop.
Dick was an avid outdoorsman and loved to fish and hunt. Over a 20 year timeframe the Dronen family transitioned from tent to pop-up tent to micro-camper to large pull-behind to a permanently parked extra-large camper and, finally, to a 3 season cabin. "The Lake" was Dick's escape from the demands and working stress of the Twin Cities. Lobster Lake in Alexandria was an annual summer tradition for the Dronen family and, ultimately, the lake cabin location. The family recalls fondly the regular evening fishing outings with 5 people packed into a 3-seat aluminum fishing boat powered by a 6hp Evinrude. The only way to keep the peace was to play "The Fishing Game" – the winner of the most and biggest catch of the evening getting their choice of ice-cream treats from the campground store. The fish of Lobster Lake were the ultimate losers, no doubt.
Dick lived his life based on a simple formula of family, friends, faith and life experiences. He worked hard and saved for opportunities to fund the formula – upgraded campers, boats and vacations for the family; regularly hosting family and friends for meals at the house or cabin; and always giving generously to the church. He was all about reward and believed that hard work made that reward all the sweeter. This not only applied to the big things in life but the small, as well. It's hard to recall a bike ride with Dick that did not incorporate a stop at the A&W or Dairy Queen – a sweet reward for the effort.
After 37 years in the printing industry Dick retired in 2005. He and Peggy sold the family home in Fridley, MN, and purchased their retirement dream home at Sunland Village East (SVE) in Mesa, AZ. As annual snowbirds, it was here that he and Peggy began an 18 year chapter of active community pursuits. Over the years at SVE, Dick was active in the tennis and pickleball clubs, and was a constant fixture at the woodshop. Here, again, he could be found practicing his life formula - volunteering with Peggy at tennis tournaments, club fundraisers or woodshop monitoring; investing time to benefit the community and the rewards that came with it. Mostly, Dick enjoyed the camaraderie of all his dear friends and the community of people that make SVE such a special place. Retirement also gave Dick more time to spend with grandchildren. He loved watching soccer and baseball games and especially cherished opportunities to fish or spend time out of doors with the grandkids.
In 2015 Dick was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. At the time, it was the self-proclaimed worst day of his life but he learned to live with the disease and continue to be active and engaged with his hobbies. He and Peggy also continued to travel nationally and internationally. Despite his best efforts to control and slow the progression of the disease with drugs and therapy, Dick was starting to noticeably slow in 2021. In February of 2022 came the cancer diagnosis. When the PET scans showed in August that the cancer in his sinuses was gone we thought our prayers were answered; but that same scan also showed cancer spots in several new locations that had not existed in February. More radiation and the addition of chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments were tried but either Dick's body rejected the treatment or the cancer was unresponsive. On January 4, 2023 Dick made the decision to stop active treatments and to complete his journey on hospice. He left this world in the early morning of January 12, surrounded by family at his lake home in Alexandria, MN. Although we all would have enjoyed Dick in our lives for many years to come, he lived a full and rewarding life and we celebrate all that he valued and appreciated in this world. Dick's favorite subject was math and he proved that his formula works. Family + friends + faith + life experiences = a life well lived and a world made all the better because of him. On behalf of Dick, we thank all of you for the kind thoughts, prayers and inquiries over this difficult and tragic year. We love and cherish each of you and will do our best to continue working Dick's life formula in his absence.
Dick is survived by his wife, Peggy, of 55 years; son, Blake (Dana) Dronen of New Brighton; daughters, Kari (Frank) Bohle of North Oaks and Laura (Jason) Dronen-Smith of White Bear Lake; grandchildren Alexis, Rebecca, Vincent and Julian; brother, Don (Cathy) Dronen of Fargo; sister, Karen (Al) Fabricius of Fargo; and many nieces and nephews. Dick is preceded in death by his biological father, Zenophile Grandbois; adopted father, Myron Dronen; mother, Lillian Dronen; and brother, Bruce Dronen.
Please join us in service, celebration, and remembrance of Dick's life on Friday May 5, 11 AM, Alexandria Covenant Church. 4005 Dakota St, Alexandria, MN 56308 with a visitation from 10:00 - 11:00 AM at the church.
Honorary memorials can be sent to any of Dick's family members and will be directed to Dick's favorite pastime and the community from which he derived so much joy: the Sunland Village East Association Woodshop.
Love,
Peggy, Blake, Laura, Kari