Richard "Dick" K. Wick

Richard Kay Wick passed away April 1, 2026, at age 87.

He was born May 5, 1938, in Merrill, WI, to Percy T. Wick and Viola (Polivka) Wick. He graduated from Merrill High School in 1956, and received his Electrical Engineering Degree from UW Madison in 1960. He put his degree to good use designing controls for the Command Module of the Apollo space program. When the Apollo program ended, he became an engineering instructor at NorthCentral Technical Collage, a position he held until his retirement.

On June 12, 1965, he married Sharon Rose Goetsch at Trinity Lutheran Church. They enjoyed 60+ years of marriage.

Richard loved playing cards. He was a avid Cribbage player and passed his love of the game to his children and grandchildren. His sons-in-law and grandsons-in-law learned the game upon becoming members of the family. Skunking Dad/Grandpa was a badge of honor in the family.

Richard enjoyed traveling with family and friends, especially camping along Lake Superior. After retirement, he and Sharon traveled extensively. Their retirement trip was a summer-long road trip to Alaska that they took in their pickup truck equipped with a topper camper. (And they were still married when they returned home.) Over the years they enjoyed many trips in the US and Europe, and a trip to Australia and New Zealand holds a special place in their memories.

Richard and Sharon were snowbirds for 19 years, spending their winters in an RV park in Rockledge, FL. They enjoyed watching dolphins and manatees, attending old car shows, watching rocket launches, and reading their books on a beach.

One of Richard's favorite places was the family cabin. He and Sharon spent as much time there as possible during the summers, and his kids and grandkids love to swim, kayak, and fish on the lake. The Hazelhurst Pub and Minocqua Pizza Company were favorite places for meals.

Richard is survived by his wife, Sharon Wick; daughters Patty (Alan) Harper and Julie (Jeff) Kania; grandchildren Amy (Nathan) Gunderson, Matthew Harper, Gregory Kania (Joely Baxter), and Jacob Kania (Olivia Keating); brother Gerald (Anne) Wick; sister-in-law Yvonne (Herbert) Meshun, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; father- and mother-in-law Arnold and Mable Goetsch; infant daughter Jennifer Lynn; and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

A celebration of life will be held at 4:00 p.m., Saturday, April 25, 2026 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Wausau. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. prior to the service at the church.

Donations may be made to the St. Mark's Lutheran Church "Built in Love" building campaign or a charity of your choice.