Richard Pharo

1946 - 2025

Richard Pharo

August 23, 1946 - June 28, 2025

Richard Dean Pharo, age 78, passed away unexpectedly on June 28, 2025. He was born on August 23, 1946, in Beloit, Wis., to Douglas and Irene Pharo. He was one of six children.

Dick, as he was known, spent his young childhood in Beloit. He spent Saturday afternoons walking to the movie theater to watch Zorro and Roy Rogers or going to the city pool to swim with friends. When he was around eight years old, the family moved to Madison to live with his grandma and grandpa and Aunt Edna due to the death of his mother. He attended East High School and finished at Central High, graduating in 1964.

It was at Central High that he met and dated his future wife, Elise. They were married in March of 1967, and shortly thereafter started a family. In 2022, they celebrated their 55th Anniversary with a small gathering, having all their remaining family members present.

Dick's love of tools and woodworking began with his job as a machinist at Gisholt Machine Company, manufacturing tools. He worked there for five years, until the company closed its doors. In the fall of 1970, he began his long career with the Madison Police Department. He started as a patrolman, moving through the ranks in Special Operations, Criminal Investigations, and an undercover Detective. During his early years, he was part of the SWAT Team, and a member of the department's Competition Shooting Team, winning several team and individual trophies.

Weekends off were spent camping, fishing, or hunting with family and dear friends. Dick and Elise also took trips around the United States, with his favorite being a 10-day Alaska cruise, seeing Mt. Denali on an inland train excursion. But his greatest passion was using his woodworking skills to produce many items in his shop. It gave him great joy to design, create and then build small wood items or large furniture pieces for others to enjoy for years. We will cherish those pieces that adorn his signature stamp on the bottom, holding a penny showing the year it was created.

Dick enjoyed going to lunch with his siblings, and sharing time with his kids and grandkids, often cooking for them in his air fryer (a skill he learned after Elise's passing). We will remember him for his dry sense of humor and well-placed Dad jokes.

Richard is survived by his children, Tracy (Mark) Fillback, Nicholas Pharo; and two grandchildren, Ellie and Luke Fillback; his brothers, David Pharo, Dennis (Lisa) Pharo, Robert (Candy) Pharo; stepbrother, Gene Pharo; his sister, Linda (Jerry) DuBois; sisters-in-law, Donna Fillner, Jean Fillner, Linda Fillner; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Jackie Walrath.

A visitation will be held on July 16, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m., at ROSELAWN MEMORIAL PARK, 401 Femrite Dr., Monona, WI 53716. A Celebration of Life will be held at 4:30 p.m.at Breakwater, 6308 Inland Way, Monona, WI 53716. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Agrace Hospice Care, 5395 E Cheryl Pkwy, Madison, WI 53711, or online at www.agrace.org.