Richard W. Mace
1927 – 2016
With family at his side, longtime Poulsbo resident Richard “Dick” Mace died peacefully in his home Sept. 7 of natural causes.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Anne; six children, Katherine, Jonathan, Marian, Alan, Elizabeth and Tim; 11 grandchildren, Andrea, Michael, Norma, Luke, Lisa, Hayden, Whitney, Hudson, Emma, Aidan and Ben; five great-grandchildren, Michela, Elizabeth, Emelio, Charlie, Peter; and another great-grandson to be born later this year. Dick’s granddaughter, Sarah, preceded him in death.
Originally from Jamestown, N.Y., Dick was adopted. His father died when he was still a boy. At age 13, he began supporting his mother by working 30 hours a week in an A&P grocery until he graduated from Jamestown High School in 1946.
In his youth, he enjoyed roller skating, ice skating, dancing and going to the movies.
Dick served in the Army Air Force as a weather observer and was stationed at several bases within the U.S. Afterward, he attended Southern Oregon College where he met his future bride and married. The young couple transferred and graduated from the University of Oregon.
They moved to Prineville for a year where Dick taught physics, math and drafting at Crook County High School. Opportunity knocked, and he changed direction toward a career in physics and engineering. Dick was an optical physicist for four years at the Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, California, then transferred to the Naval Undersea Warfare Engineering Station in Keyport where he was an acoustical physicist and, eventually, an engineer.
In 1961 he purchased the family home, an old chicken farm near Poulsbo, and spent his spare time remodeling, building fences, planting fruit trees, raising chickens and beef cattle, and gardening vegetables. The Maces started an annual corn roast potluck at the farm that became a tradition for family, friends and neighbors until 2015.
After many years at Keyport, Dick transferred to Bangor Naval Base. As he neared retirement, he completed his master’s degree in systems management and began another career as an engineering technical support supervisor for McLoughlin Research Corporation and Honeywell in Poulsbo, where he worked for another eight years.
The Maces have been part of the Episcopal Church community in North Kitsap since the early 1960s, resulting in many friendships and a strong spiritual family. They attended St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Port Gamble until St. Charles Episcopal Church was built in Poulsbo in the 1970s. Dick helped construct the sanctuary at St. Charles and served as the self-help coordinator at Herald Hall. In the 1990s, the Maces helped found Faith Episcopal Church, which served the community for 20 years at various locations in Kingston. For many years, Dick was the treasurer. Recently, Faith Episcopal was able to regain access to the St. Charles complex in Poulsbo. Dick and Anne helped other church members to clean it , inside and out, for the reopening earlier this year.
Dick volunteered for many years at the Naval Undersea Museum in Keyport. He enjoyed sharing his intimate knowledge of the technology — much of which he worked on in his career — featured in the displays. He also tutored local students in math and science.
After retirement, Dick and Anne enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. visiting family and friends, parks, and historical sites. Dick kept in touch with schoolmates and attended reunions. He was sorry to miss his 60th high school reunion this summer.
Dick loved life and his family very much, especially his grandchildren. He was also proud that two of his sons followed in his professional footsteps — physics and engineering. Dick enjoyed do-it-yourself projects around his property and continued to plant a vegetable garden and flowers each year — geraniums and dahlias were his favorites. In addition to being dedicated to his family and home, Dick will be remembered as an eloquent, intelligent man who enjoyed socializing, reading and following/discussing current events.
There will be a public Memorial Service, followed by a Celebration of Life, at 3 p.m. Oct. 15 at Faith Episcopal Church, 20295 Little Valley Road, Poulsbo.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Sarah Mace Memorial Scholarship, c/o Bend LaPine School District; Attn: Marcia Copple; 520 NW Wall St., Bend, OR 97701. Tax ID# 93-6000393.
Visit www.lewischapel.com to sign Dick’s online guestbook. To contact the church, call 360-471-7522 or email faithepiscopal@outlook.com.
