Richard Theodore Sterling was called to the Lord on May 16, 2018, at the age of 91. He passed away at Benefis Hospice accompanied by family and friends in Great Falls, Mont. after an injury at home. Richard was born in Chicago, Ill. on Nov. 4, 1926, to Herman and Irene Donath Sterling. Captain in the South Shore High School national guard unit, after graduation he enlisted in the Fighting 69th National Guard unit in Dec., 1944 and went to Japan in 1945 with the “Go Anywhere”, 27th Division of the 5th Army. At Washington State College he met Betty Lou Mastenbrook the love of his life. Married on June 6, 1948, in Seattle, Wash., they honeymooned on the Big Hill Lookout Tower, above the Middlefork Clearwater River in Idaho. They celebrated 68 years together. Betty passed in 2016.
Richard is survived by three sons, Paul Sterling (Sandra) of Hoquiam, Wash., Brian Sterling (Eileen) of Wichita, Kan., and James Sterling of Aberdeen, Wash.; grandchildren, Jeff Sterling of Aberdeen, Laurel Sterling (Chris Blume) of Hoquiam, Bob Sterling (Natalie) of Wichita, Elizabeth Sterling Lee (Michael) of Edmonton, Alberta, BC.; along with five great-grandchildren and three great-great-granddaughters. He also left sister-in-law, Barbara Tomco of Granite Falls, Wash.; brother-in-law, Robert Tomco (Dot) of Heber, Utah; sister-in-law Johanna Mastenbrook, Seattle Wash., and also special long-time family friend Gerry Furnia of Montesano Wash., along with many loving friends in Hoquiam and Great Falls.
After graduating in Forestry from Washington State College, Richard began working at the Washington State Div. of Forestry as a firefighter, including Forks and Randall, cone buying contractor in Humptulips, and forester in Montesano before moving to Hoquiam. He was engineer for Aloha Lumber Company (1955-65), Elmore Boom (1966-72). He was also the Hoquiam City Forester for many years. Licensed as a professional land surveyor in 1962 he started his private business, Richard T. Sterling, PLS, Inc. in 1972 which he operated until retiring. He continued his love of surveying, testifying in court at age 90 as expert witness in a boundary lawsuit.
Richard was an avid stamp and coin collector all of his life. He studied history, geography, astronomy, math and continued to study until the end of his life. He was a boy scout leader and loved hiking, he coached baseball, and he took every fifth grade class in Hoquiam to plant trees on the watershed. He was a member of the American Rhododendron Society, and he grew special varieties by cuttings which he loved to plant among favorite conifers. He was an avid WSU fan, and went to Rose Bowl. He and his wife Betty traveled the world and they loved taking their RV across the U.S. and Canada. They lived briefly in Borrego Springs, Calif., where he volunteered at the Anzo-Borrego Desert State Park. Upon moving to Great Falls he volunteered at the Charles M. Russell Museum. He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church, in Hoquiam and Great Falls.
In 2007 he published “Aloha Lumber Company 1906-2006”. At his death he was completing a book about Charles M Russell with co-author, Rich Mattoon.
Services are being held at the First Presbyterian Church in Great Falls, Mont. on Thursday, May 24, at 1 p.m., followed by refreshments. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery.
