Richard Alan Dick Caruso

Richard A. "Dick" Caruso, 92, of Livingston, Montana, passed away on Tuesday, February 12th, 2019. A memorial funeral service will be held 1:30 P.M., Tuesday, February 19, at the Holbrook United Methodist Church, 424 W Lewis St, Livingston with Pastor Dave Greep officiating. Local Shriners and Masons with the Livingston Masonic Lodge #32 will perform funeral rites and veterans honors will be presented. Coffee, cake, refreshments, and fellowship will follow the service in the Hobrook Hall. Burial will be at a later date at Mountain View Cemetery in Big Timber.Dick was born in Livingston, Montana on January 14, 1927, to Emil and Elizabeth (Napoli) Caruso. Dick was raised in Livingston and attended Park County High School. He played football, basketball, ran track, and played Clarinet in the band. In June 1944, at 17 years old and at the end of his Junior year in high school, he joined the United States Navy to serve in World War II. He served on the U.S.S. Athanasia, near Japan, in the South Pacific. He completed his tour of duty in July of 1946.When Dick returned to Livingston in 1946, he completed his senior year at Park County High School in 1947. He had several jobs but saw the writing on the wall and in 1948 he enrolled at Montana State College in Bozeman, Montana. He was a proud member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting in 1952.During college, in the summer of 1949, he met the love of his life Donna Ronning. They were married a year later on, March 4, 1950. For the next five years he worked for the Continental Oil Company. Son Steven was born in 1953, and son Bradford was born in 1956. He then went to work for the United States Forest Service in accounting and management. Dick had a distinguished career with the federal government that lasted 25 years. Dick, Donna and their sons moved many times as Dick accepted promotion after promotion. They lived in multiple cities during his tenure with the Forest Service. In his final years he was transferred to Washington D.C. and then on to Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado. After contracting bladder cancer, and not sure of what the future would hold, Dick and Donna retired back home in Livingston, in 1982.Dick grew up hunting, fishing and playing sports. After retirement he pursued his true passion, fly fishing on the Yellowstone River. Countless days were spent on the river, and each October there was the annual trek to Idaho to go Steelhead fishing on the Salmon River. He loved to snow ski at Bridger Bowl. He also discovered long distance running and participated in many 10Ks, half marathons, marathons and triathlons. In 2002 he was selected to run the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics torch through his alma mater; Montana State University.Dick was involved in many civic organizations including the Elks Lodge, the American Legion, the Masonic Lodge and the AlBedoo Shrine. As a Shriner and a Shrine Klown he got great satisfaction in getting children with physical disabilities admitted to the Spokane Shrine Hospital for health care at no cost to their families. He also was a faithful member, participated in the choir and served as treasurer for Holbrook United Methodist Church for over 20 years. He was also very active in the Green Acres Homeowners Association. He so enjoyed his public speaking presentations with Toastmasters and Junto.Dick dearly loved his surviving wife Donna of 68 years; his son, Steven and Stevens wife Rita, his son, Bradford and Bradfords wife Kathye, his two beautiful granddaughters, Courtney and Annamarie.He was preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Elizabeth; his sister, Joyce Fuqua; his brother, Gilbert and his brother, Emil Junior.Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.