Richard George Koenig
1941-2020
Richard George Koenig, age 78 (formerly of Troy and Northport, MI) died peacefully September 4, 2020 at his home in Traverse City after a seven-year battle with Liposarcoma cancer.
Dick was born on September 27, 1941 in Pittsburgh, the only child of the late George and Ruth (Miller) Koenig. He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Sherry (Sharon Bartley) Koenig, his sister-in-law Marilyn Trent Bartley and nephew Edward (Ted) Bartley of Grosse Pointe Woods, MI. He was raised in Detroit after his family relocated to the area when he was six years old.
He graduated from Redford High School in 1959 and was a proud Purdue University Boilermaker, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1963. He was employed at Detroit Edison (now DTE Energy) where he began his 38-year career in the Research Department, later in the IT department and retired from the Accounting department. It was while working at Detroit Edison that he met the love of his life, Sherry, who was an advisor in the Electric Living Division. They married in 1968.
Duplicate Bridge and Running were his hobbies and they were a big part of his life. He was a member of the American Contract Bridge League and played in many tournaments where he earned his Life Master classification. Running was his passion which he enjoyed for 32 years. He was a member of the DTE Power Runners Club and over the years he ran 41,500 miles which included a myriad of races – 32 marathons, four of which were the Boston Marathon which were definitely the highlight of his running career as well as races in Detroit, Duluth, Grand Rapids, Columbus, Chicago, Cleveland, Erie, Traverse City, Port Huron, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Port Clinton, Pittsburgh and South Bend. His bout with cancer put an abrupt end to his running days which was a great loss for him. His fellow runners and their families were an important part of his life.
He was definitely a numbers man and enjoyed following and analyzing the stock market spending hours each day tracking the ups and downs of the market and updating his spreadsheets right up until just a few days before his death. He was a member of several Boards of Trustees in Northport including the Leelanau Township Community Foundation (LTCF), the Northport Performing Arts Center (NPAC), the Northport Area Heritage Association (NAHA) and the Northport Lions Club.
He was a good man and he made the world a better place. The old saying “You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats his mother-in-law” was definitely the case for Dick as his mother-in-law, Barbara Bartley, who moved to Northport with Dick and Sherry in 2007, was an important part of his life.
Visitation will take place with social distancing at Martinson Funeral Home on Friday, September 25th from 5:00- 7:00 PM followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 1025 S Union St. in Traverse City on Saturday, September 26th at 11:00 AM. Interment will take place at the Leelanau Township Cemetery in Northport.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to the Richard G. and Sharon B. Koenig Endowment Fund at Purdue University to benefit cancer research , 403 West Wood St, West Lafayette, IN 47907, the Koenig Northport Performing Arts Center Endowment Fund at the Leelanau Township Community Foundation (LTCF), PO Box 818, Northport, MI 49670 or the Northport Lions Club, Hank DeYoung, 11263 N. Shore Dr, Northport, MI 49670
Please share memories and condolences at www.martinson.info.
Arrangements are with Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.