Richard "Dick" Mentzinger

Richard "Dick" Mentzinger, of Lake Forest, IL, lived life to the fullest, enjoying his favorite dinner and Monday Night Football before passing away peacefully in his sleep at age 96 on September 23, 2025.
Dick was born in Philadelphia on October 24, 1928, to William and Marguerite Mentzinger, and he became their sole surviving son when his older brother, Robert, a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, was killed in the South Pacific during World War II. Dick was part of the 186th graduating class from Central High School in Philadelphia. He received an A.B. in English from Princeton University in 1950 and an MBA from Harvard University in 1952.
Dick married his longtime sweetheart and the love of his life, Maryjane, following his business school graduation, and they treasured each other until she passed in 2013. Over the years, Dick worked for several companies, including General Electric, RCA, and Matsushita Electric, and that meant many relocations. Dick, Maryjane, and their three children, Rick, Lynn, and Jane, lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, Syracuse, Bloomington, IN, and Indianapolis before finally settling in Lake Forest in 1975. Always positive (even about Syracuse's weather), Dick viewed each move-and life itself-as a grand adventure. In this spirit, Dick shifted gears in the 1980s, joining gaming software developers Mindscape and later Electronic Arts in sales and marketing. He became an independent consultant before retiring in the mid-1990s.
Dick was a devoted Princeton alumnus, and he and Maryjane enjoyed going to class reunions. In May 2025, he attended his 75th reunion, participating virtually in the "P-rade," courtesy of his granddaughter Jane Alice (Princeton class of 2022). Jane Alice facetimed her grandfather, held up her phone, and together they marched with the "Old Guard," Dick waving enthusiastically to the appreciative crowd.
Besides being a devoted and loving son, husband, and father, Dick was a loyal friend. He and Maryjane cherished their relationships with both his high school friends and their spouses (the "Gang") and with the couples they met at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest (the "Committee"). The Gang raised their children as cousins and gathered many summers at Eagle Camp in South Hero, VT. With its tents, golf croquet tournaments, and talent shows, Eagle Camp became an important family tradition; Lynn and her family still go every year. The Committee, formed during a later stage in life, took annual trips together for 25 years, including one memorable but, according to Dick, very slow barge cruise in France.
Dick loved to travel. Maryjane's meticulous research and Dick's boundless enthusiasm took them all over the globe, sometimes with Jane. The three of them had a particularly exciting two-month trip to Australia and New Zealand. After losing Maryjane, Dick continued to explore; he and Lynn ventured to Africa, Vietnam, and Eastern Europe.
Dick was consistently upbeat and optimistic, and his joie de vivre was contagious. Ask Dick how he was, and the answer was always, "In the pink!" Whether he was beating Rick decisively at Five Crowns, going out to lunch with Jane, playing with Lynn's grandchildren (his great-grandchildren), or telling Faye and Mary, his treasured caregivers, how much he appreciated them, Dick was always smiling. So many will miss that beautiful smile and infectious laugh.
Dick is survived by his son, Richard "Rick" Mentzinger Jr. (Elizabeth) of Swarthmore, PA; and his daughters, Lynn (Gailen) Hull of Highland Park, IL, and Jane Mentzinger of Evanston, IL. He also leaves behind seven adult grandchildren and their families: Katherine Mentzinger and Jose Raventos of Boston, MA; Anne Mentzinger of New Haven, CT; Jane Alice Mentzinger of New York, NY; Christopher and Megan (Sorenson) Hull of Highwood, IL, and their children, Avery, Carter, Margaret, and Evelyn; Andrew and Brittany (Walker) Hull of Nashville, TN, and their children, Addison and Tanner; Emily (Hull) and Jarrod Diehl of Huntersville, NC, and their children, Cooper and Sullivan; and Tomas Mentzinger of Evanston, IL.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, 700 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL where Dick served as an elder, deacon, and member of numerous committees. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest (https://firstchurchlf.org/give/make-a-one-time-gift/) or to Massachusetts General Hospital, which provided Dick with innovative, lifesaving treatment in the 1990s (https://giving.massgeneral.org/donate).
There's only one way to close this tribute to our beloved patriarch, and that's with the words he used at the end of every phone call: "Stay safe. Stay strong. Be good. Be happy."
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Reuland & Turnbough Funeral Directors of Lake Forest at (847) 234-9649 or www.RTfuenrals.com.