Richard J. Griese

Richard J. Griese (4/9/31-11/5/23) passed away peacefully in his sleep in Green Valley, AZ. Dick was born in suburban Chicago, graduated from MIT, and worked at Somerville Architects and Engineers, Inc. in Green Bay, WI for his entire career, rising from summer intern to president and chairman. Dick designed many iconic Fox Valley and greater Wisconsin buildings including Bellin Hospital, the Neville Public Museum and the National Railroad Museum. He also designed his two distinctive homes.

Dick served in the US Army and married his beloved Betty (nee Sherman of Richmond, VA) in Germany in 1955. They moved to the Green Bay area after his honorable discharge, and eventually retired to Tubac, AZ in 2002, where they continued to celebrate their 65 years of marriage.

Dick remained an architect in good standing into his 90s, serving as the HOA architectural review committee in Tubac until moving to assisted living in Green Valley after Betty's death in 2020.

Golf was another of Dick's great passions, and he played as often as he could for as long as he could at Oneida Golf and Country Club and various southern AZ courses.

The Green Bay Packers held a special place in his heart, and he was a year-round, life-long fan of the Green-and-Gold.

Dick is survived by his sister Dorothy (Plymouth, WI), daughter Terri (Tucson, AZ) and son Richard (Atlanta, GA) and their families.

Services have been held. No mere words can convey the welcome, warmth, wit and wisdom Dick had for his many friends in all the walks of his long life -- architecture, church, golf and community. Should you wish to make a donation in Dick's memory, please consider a tribute gift to firsttee.org, helping raise the next generation of golfers and citizens, or to the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, nationalrrmuseum.org.