Richard David “Dick” Hodgson, of Richland, Washington, passed away peacefully on May 15th, 2026, at the age of 92. He was born on December 11, 1933, in Kalispell, Montana, to William and Catherine Hodgson. As the fourth of five children, Dick learned early that keeping up with his siblings often meant getting into just enough mischief to make life interesting.

He joined the Navy in 1954 and served aboard the USS Carp (SS-338) as an Electronics Technician for three years before completing an additional year aboard the USS Bashaw (SSK-241). He was honorably discharged in February 1959 with the rank of Electronics Technician First Class, Qualified on Submarines (ET1(SS)). In 1955, he met and married Evelyn “Lynn” Choo in Honolulu, Hawaii, the love and life’s partner for 54 years, until her passing in August 2009.

After leaving the Navy, their growing family moved to Bozeman where he completed an engineering degree at Montana State University. He graduated in 1963, then moved to Richland to build a successful electrical engineering career at the Hanford Nuclear Site until retiring in 1996. In his own words, Dick’s favorite pastimes included “world class competitions in beebee stacking” and “underwater basket weaving.” One could often find him volunteering at Christ the King’s bookstore and the annual Sausage Festival, baking bread that was rumored to have healing powers, and whistling to himself an old-timey tune.

To his family and friends, Dick was a quick-witted and playful soul who loved adventure and the outdoors. He was curious about the world and had the intelligence to tinker, improve, and create throughout his life. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, William Henry and Catherine “Kate” Elisabeth (Haran) Hodgson; his beloved wife, Lynn; his brothers Walter Joseph Hodgson, William Haran Hodgson, and Donald James Hodgson; and his sister, Katherine “Kay” Marie Welling.

He is survived by his daughters, Sandy Lee (Robbie) of Henderson, Nevada; Terry Buechler of West Richland, Washington; Kathy Lucas (Ron) of Richland, Washington; Karlene Campau of Seattle, Washington; and Linda Stone (Mark) of Portland, Oregon; his son, Richard Hodgson Jr. (Pam) of Huntington Beach, California; along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends. Dick leaves behind a legacy of service, hard work, devotion to family, and countless stories that grew just a little better each time they were told.

He taught those around him to work hard, stay curious, laugh often, and never take life, or yourself, too seriously. In keeping with Dick’s personality, family and friends are encouraged to remember him with a smile, share one of his stories, tell a joke in his honor, and raise a glass to a life well lived.