August 3, 1946 – February 8, 2026
Richard T Yates
Richard (Dick) T. Yates, dearly beloved husband, father, brother, and uncle lost his battle with congestive heart failure and passed away peacefully at home with his loved ones at his side. He spent his last few hours watching the Seahawks win the Super Bowl.
Dick was born to Robert Somerville Radford Yates and Dorothy (Snyder) Yates in St. Louis, Missouri. He was raised in Webster Groves along with older brother Bob and sister Marge, as well as younger sister Dotty.
Dick was an avid Boy Scout and Eagle Scout and played baseball and wrestled in high school. Growing up, he particularly loved family camping trips. This sparked a lifelong love of the outdoors including hiking, fishing and gardening.
After high school, Dick moved to Fort Collins, Colorado where he attended Colorado State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in forestry. After college he worked for the Bureau of Land Management for a short time and went to California where he ‘cruised’ (measured) the trees in the Redwood National Forest in what would become the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. When jobs dried up in forestry, Dick returned to Colorado and, after a short time working in an Italian Deli in Denver, he moved to Vail and opened an Italian restaurant that became popular with both locals and tourists. Former employees still talk about their fondness for Dick as a kind and caring employer.
Dick married Diane Carsten in 1976 and they ran the restaurant together. After they had sons David and Alex, they sold the restaurant in 1982 and moved to Washington State, first living on Whidbey Island and later in Lake Forest Park and Shoreline. Diane sometimes thought Dick wanted to move to the Seattle area because of his love of coffee. He was always seeking the quintessential cup of coffee.
Dick went on to become a real estate appraiser and later bought and operated a ServiceMaster franchise until his retirement in 2008. Until his illness forced him to slow down, Dick spent his retirement gardening, hiking, traveling, remodeling the family home and listening to music. Dick was called the energizer bunny due to his boundless energy.
Dick is survived by Diane, his wife of 49 years, and sons David (Alana) and Alex (Brenda). He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Margaret.
At Dick’s request there will be no services. He would tell you to ‘take a hike’ in his memory.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Washington Trails Association.
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