Richard J. “Dick” Tessmer, age 85, Gouverneur,
passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at Canton-Potsdam Hospital in Potsdam.
Funeral services are private with the Green Funeral Home, Gouverneur and burial will be held in Riverside Cemetery, Gouverneur.
He was born in Mellen, Wisconsin on November 30, 1934. Dick was the son of Max A. and Ruth (van Alstine) Tessmer. He was brother to Max E., Franchieu Ritchie, and Donna Burchett.
Dick married Mary Staples from Eliot, Maine on July 16, 1961 and ultimately resided in Gouverneur with their two sons, Matthew and Eric. He was predeceased by his parents, brother, and sisters. He is survived by his wife, Mary, two sons Matthew and his wife Kathy of Ogdensburg, and Eric of Gouverneur. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Dick graduated Gouverneur High School in 1953, where he enjoyed a standout athletic career in football and wrestling. Dick was also president of the GHS Class of 1953. Dick was inducted onto the Gouverneur High School “Athletic Wall of Fame” in 2013.
Dick enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he served from 1953 to 1956, attained the rank of Sergeant, and was honorably discharged.
Upon his discharge from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in 1956, he bought a used Harley Davidson. He then rode across the country from San Diego, CA to return home to Gouverneur.
Dick attended Michigan College of Mining and Technology (Houghton, MI), from 1956 to 1958. He would then embark on a multifaceted career in the construction industry. Over the next four decades, he successfully worked, predominantly in construction management, for Northeast Construction, Germanetti and Ryan Construction Associates, Inc., and B.S. Industrial. He retired in 2000.
Dick loved to spend time with his family. He enjoyed small landscaping and construction projects at home and at their camp at Trout Lake.
Dick was an avid reader of 20th century military history with a focus on WWII and the Korean War. He was a firearms enthusiast and enjoyed target shooting with both rifles and pistols. He liked classic movies with an affinity for Westerns. He was a huge supporter and fan of Section 10 football, specifically OFA as well as GHS football. He did not support Massena football. Most of all though, Dick loved his family and they very much love him.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gouverneur Library, Gouverneur Vol. Rescue Squad, or Ogdensburg Free Academy Football.