Richard E Capstran

Richard “Cappy” Capstran, aged 97, died peacefully in his sleep on April 20.

Cappy was born into the unforgiving poverty of the Great Depression. Central to his life was the determination that his children would never know that fear.

His long and fruitful marriage of 67 years to his wife Betty (deceased) was typical of the times in which they were born. He expressed the outward power of a man and she the inward but equal power of a woman. She raised the children and created a list of candidates for him to take into the voting booth. He built a business to assure their financial safety. Like many marriages it wasn’t always easy but they stayed true and fiercely committed to each other.

Their four children, James, Candace, Barbara and Julie, were blessed with Betty and Dick’s strong values of fairness, decency and a nagging conscience to keep them on track. The greatest gift they received are the strong bonds they will have with each other beyond their parents’ deaths.

Dick was grandfather to Chris, Jeff, Mark, Grant, Scott, Sarah and Mary and great grandfather to Cody, Jake, Kelsy, Carter, Abby, Lauren, Caleb, Luke, Aden, Scotty, Taylor and soon to be born, Olivia.

Cappy had a long life with good health. At the very end as his body began to fail he lost the most basic autonomy. The sorrow his family must now endure is mitigated by the quick, merciful release of his death.

A big thank-you to cousin Sharron who gave Dick his last laugh. On the phone hours before his death, Sharron asked how he was doing and he replied, reasonable. She responded, “Oh uncle Dick, you have never been reasonable.”

Goodbye Cappy. We will miss you.

A celebration of Cappy’s life will take place on Sunday, April 24 from 2-4 pm at St. John’s on the Lake, 1840 N. Prospect Ave.