A Celebration of the Life of Dick Goebel will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at the Joy Center at the BHSU Spearfish Campus in Spearfish, SD, with a reception to follow.  Burial with full military honors will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 29, 2025 at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.

Colonel Richard "Dick" Goebel, USAF, Retired, entered the arms of God on March 21, 2025 with family by his side.  Dick was born in Florida on September 19, 1941 to Virginia and Dick Goebel and spent his growing up years in Georgia and South Carolina with his five siblings:  Mary, Ronnie, Jean, Joan, and Celie.  He attended the University of South Carolina and received a BS in Engineering and then a Masters from the University of Southern California.

As a young Second Lieutenant Dick entered the Air Force to begin his career.  It was at this point that he met and wooed a Lemmon South Dakota gal, Darlene Evanson, with his smooth southern accent and charm which led to 57 years of marriage to the love of his life and three children, Scott (Laurey), Melissa (Danny) and Lindsay-Paige (Chris) and eight grandchildren:  Corena, Dylan, Megan, Riley, Kyliah, Cassidy, Conner and Colby.

Dick was a devoted dad and grandfather.  Family life consisted of camping, snow skiing, music and sports.  He found great joy in coaching and not just for the game, but for the opportunity to mentor young athletes.

Dick proudly served his country for 27 years, including two and a half years in Vietnam aboard a B-52.  One of his most enjoyable assignments was being a Commander of First Group at the US Air Force Academy.  He again was in a mentoring position to help these young men and women begin to reach their full potential as they entered the military to protect our country.  His distinguished military career ended serving in many capacities at the Pentagon and NSA.  He was the Director of Airborne Reconnaissance responsible for planning and advising the Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Security leadership on worldwide airborne reconnaissance collection operations.  Dick's career was marked by dedication, integrity, and courage, earning him numerous awards and commendations.

Dick's interests were wide and varied.  His curiosity led him to taking many, many Great Course classes.  He had a passion for photography and he taught seminars on drone photography which he felt was a terrific opportunity to combine his love of flying and photography.  He played the guitar and banjo and enjoyed singing with his wife.  This was the source of many delightful times.

After 20 moves, Dick and Dar retired to AZ for the winter months, sharing a fun-filled life with friends and family.  His happy place was always at the family's summer cabin in Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills of South Dakota where family and friends would come to be surrounded by laughter, love, and nature, making memories that spanned generations.

Dick and Dar traveled extensively, exploring new cultures and landscapes with the same enthusiasm he brought to every chapter of his life.  This man had a wicked dry sense of humor, however, it was coupled with warmth, humility and a deep sense of life's simple joys.  He lived fully, laughed often and loved deeply.  He leaves a legacy of strength, curiosity and compassion to all who knew him.

Welcome Home God's good and faithful servant.