POLENSKE, Richard Emil

Greenwood Memory Lawn Mortuary, Phoenix, Arizona Polenske, Richard Emil, (January 1, 1928 - January 20, 2010) Our beloved husband and father is at peace. Dick was born in Hastings. Nebraska. He attended schools in Prescott, Flagstaff, and Williams, Arizona. He attended high school in San Diego and completed his senior year in Hastings. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1946-1947 and continued his Coast Guard career in the Reserves entering Officer Candidate School in 1953. At the time of his honorable discharge in 1960 he was a Lieutenant. Dick married his beloved wife, Bette, June 5, 1948. Dick graduated in June, 1950 from University of Nebraska at Omaha with a BS degree in Engineering and Business Administration, along with an Associate Degree in Drafting. In 1951 he moved his family to Arizona and joined Arizona Public Service in 1953 as a Mechanical Engineer. APS sold its water system to Arizona Water Company in 1955 and Dick transferred to AWC as Assistant General Manager. He held many titles during his career advancing through to become President in 1983 which he held until his retirement in 1993. He remained a member of the Board of Directors until his death. Dick is survived by his wife, Bette, his brother, Jim, daughter, Janet Soock and her husband, Jim Soock, grandchildren, Michael Grose, Michelle Haupt and her husband, Dirk and great granddaughters, Ashlee, sister-in-law, Cora Polenske and Emilee Haupt and also many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents, Wilfred and Doris, brother, Dale and sister, Norma Jean Dixon. Although Dick had a number of outside interests, his greatest love was his family. He touched the lives of all who knew him and he will be dearly missed. Visitation will be held Friday, January 29th from 4-8PM and the funeral will be January 30 at lO:OO AM at Greenwood Memory Lawn Chapel, 719 N. 27th Avenue in Phoenix.