Richard H. Tolleson, 73, of Pullman, passed away Saturday, April 8, 2023, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.
Richard Harvey Tolleson was born in Chula Vista, Calif., in 1949, to Richard and Georgie Tolleson. His early years were spent in Oregon where he became adept at primitive chicken farming, motorcycle repair, drilling wells and relentlessly teasing his four younger sisters. After graduating from high school, Richard made his first trip to the North Shore of Oahu to attend Church College of Hawaii. He went to study, but quickly found he was much more interested in mopeds and taking pictures all over the islands. His letters home to Georgie frequently mention the need for cash to develop pictures, and gas money. He left Hawaii and headed to Upstate New York to serve his mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He loved his time in New York and Pennsylvania and serving the Lord.
On his first Sunday back from his mission, he laid eyes on Kathryn Heinonen, a college student at home from break. During their courtship, Richard was drafted. They were engaged and married in the LDS Salt Lake Temple in December 1970, in the middle of a blizzard, while on break from basic training from the U.S. Army.
Richard and Kathy spent the early years of their marriage bouncing from military base to military base, starting out in the motor pool and working his way up to military intelligence, which he always said was an oxymoron. After time in Washington and Massachusetts, they lucked out with an assignment to Schoffield Baracks in Wahiawa, Hawaii. He eventually left the Army and started two businesses that embraced his love of motorcycles, mopeds and all-terrain vehicless.
They stayed in Hawaii 44 years living in Laie and Hauula and proudly raising seven Kahuku Red Raider graduates. Richard would always say his children were his greatest treasures and his love was unconditional. He employed several interesting parenting techniques, including teaching 10 year olds to tow cars and important life skills like how to make a perfect sausage gravy and auto-part hoarding. He had an incredible work ethic and passed it on to his children. He was proud of all of his children and grandchildren and loved to sing their praises.
He was a tinkerer, a fixer and naturally curious just like his father. He could fix just about any car or appliance, or at least make it work for a couple of weeks, and spent his free time repairing things for the community. He would even try to convince you to run something on biodiesel. He loved helping others and making sure there were enough generators to power Hauula Homestead Road in the event of a hurricane. His biggest disappointment in life was when his children would buy brand new cars or appliances.
After his retirement from Hawaii Reserves Inc., Richard and Kathy left Hawaii to be closer to their children and moved to Pullman. They were fortunate to live next to his son Rich, who quickly realized he should have put stricter rules into their homeowner association agreement. He made friends in Pullman and was lucky to be part of a walking group that was just an excuse to sneak out to the local Jack In The Box.
Richard loved his family, loved his wife and loved the Lord. He loved a good prank, had a great laugh and loved sitting around cackling with his sisters. Not one to rest, on the rare moments he did, he loved a good hammock race, a spy novel and Hawaiian slack-key guitar.
Richard is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathryn, and his seven children: Kristina Moore (Brad), Melanie Tolleson-Wunderle (Matt), Richard P Tolleson (Andrea), Jason Tolleson (Nanine), Erica Johnson (Brad), Justin Tolleson (Brittany), and Rachel Tolleson and her fiancé Nalu Tano; and grandchildren Nathan, Richard, Katie, Erin, Allison, Tommy, Ada, Derek, Jupiter, Bodhi, Stella, Forest and Archer; sisters and brother-in-laws, Linda and Don Saaga, Helen and Jeff Christiansen, Marianne and Paul Hansen, Sylvia Morris and countless nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Georgie Tolleson.
The Tolleson family would like to thank the many doctors, cardiologists and nurses throughout Washington who cared for Richard.
We will be gathering to celebrate Richard’s life with love and aloha on Saturday, April 15, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1055 N.E. Orchard Drive, in Pullman. Viewing will start at 10 a.m., followed by the service at 11 a.m. Richard will be laid to rest at the Pullman Cemetery. Corbeill Funeral Home of Pullman is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to corbeillfunerlhomes.com.
