Richard Earl Michaud

     Richard (Dick) Earl Michaud, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away peacefully at his home on April 18, 2026, one month shy of his 99th birthday. From humble beginnings during the Great Depression, Dick built a life defined by unwavering courage and perseverance, boundless energy, and deep devotion to his faith, his family, and his country as a proud USAF veteran.

     Dick was born on May 14, 1927, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Leonard and Dorothy McLean Michaud. He had one sibling, an older brother named Jack. After his parents divorced when he was 6 years old, his family split up and Dick and his mother moved to Logan, Utah. It was there that Dick developed a love of the outdoors -- fishing and hunting whenever and wherever he could with one of many beloved dogs at his side.

     After graduating from Logan High School in 1945, Dick joined the US Navy, serving in the Philippines and South Pacific. Returning to civilian life, he enrolled at Utah State University (USU). It was there that he met and married Patricia (Pat) Merrill in the Logan LDS temple on August 13, 1948. His marriage to Pat and membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped shape his character, values, and pursuits throughout his life.

     Dick graduated from USU in 1950 and began a stellar military career lasting 22 years, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was a “Top Gun” pilot and served his country in three wars: WW 2, Korea, and Vietnam. During the Vietnam war, Dick flew 193 combat missions that helped rescue 78 downed pilots, earning him five Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Bronze Star and 14 Air Medals. During this time, Dick and Pat welcomed four children into their family: Robert, Barbara, Kathy, and James. They chose Mesa, Arizona to raise their family and Dick flew out of Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix for his numerous deployments.

     After retiring from the USAF in 1972, Dick took a job at Arizona State University as an Asst. Financial Aid Officer. In 1979, he was offered a job as the Financial Aid Director at USU and he and Pat moved back to their beloved Cache Valley. They built a home in Logan and became die-hard Aggie fans. Dick retired in 1985.

     The Logan home became the extended family’s favorite activity base. With every visit, Dick posted a list on the fridge with suggestions of fun things they could do together: fly fishing, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, river running, dutch oven cookouts, snow tubing, canoeing Tony Grove Lake, Aggie ice cream, slide shows, picnics in the park, and going for “toolies” (long car rides) around the valley. Dick often stopped at a local farm stand to purchase a dozen ears of corn and a watermelon for dinner that night. Recognizing the heavy toll it took on his family to be absent so much during his military career, Dick worked hard to make up for lost time and forge relationships with his children and grandchildren.

     In 1995, Dick resigned from his many civic involvements and turned his time and energy to family history work. For the next 25 years and with help from other family members, he was instrumental in the submission of over 70,000 ancestors’ names for saving ordinances in LDS temples. Dick felt he was preserved from enemy fire during Vietnam so he could perform this vital work.

     Because of Pat’s failing health, the decision was made in 2008 to move back to Mesa to be near three of their four children. Dick continued to care for Pat until her death in 2014.

     Dick’s talents were many: an accomplished pilot, fly fisherman, falconer, labrador retriever trainer and competitor, backpacker, photographer, sportswriter, dutch oven cook, and family history researcher and instructor to name just a few. He never ignored a call for help, always showing up whether it was for his family, a neighbor in need, or his local church congregation. His presence was grounding and constant.

     Dick was adventurous, curious, playful, and deeply social. His relationships with others were genuine and full of warmth – and occasional flirtation. His bright personality could light up a room – and sometimes scorch it depending on who needed putting in their place. He lived life exactly on his terms: no shortcuts, no nonsense, and never out of step with his own unapologetic style. He was complex. He was funny. He was proud. He was tough. He was absolutely one of a kind.

     Dick’s remarkable life will forever be a testament to the power of an invincible spirit infused with courage, faith, and humor and to stand tall in the face of adversity. His spirit lives on in those he guided, nurtured, and cheered. To know him was to be seen, to be remembered, and to be loved.

     Dick was preceded in death by his parents and brother, his wife of 66 years, one son (Robert), two grandsons (Richard L. Michaud and Brian Layton), and two great-grandchildren (Evan Campbell and Emmalyn Atkinson). He is survived by three of his four children and their spouses (Barb and Clay Layton; Kathy and Stan Mead; and Jim and Judy Michaud), 19 grandchildren, 60 great grandchildren, and 6 great, great grandchildren. We all wish him “blue skies and tailwinds” until we meet again.

     A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the LDS Stake Center, 2228 E. Brown Rd, Mesa, Arizona. A viewing will be held beforehand from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Interment in the City of Mesa Cemetery will follow the service.