Dick Haines passed away at home Tuesday after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. His wife "Bunny" looked after Dick with loving care during this prolonged struggle.

Dick was born in Billings, to Elmer "Buck" Haines and Marion "Tye" Haines. The family eventually moved to Helena, where Dick graduated from high school in 1954. He graduated from Montana State University in 1959 with a degree in mechanical engineering, and also completed the army's ROTC program. Shortly thereafter Dick began his two-year army commitment as an officer teaching marksmanship skills and shooting on army rifle teams.  He was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, the Presidio in San Francisco and at Fort Carson, Colorado where he met and married Bunny in June of 1961.

Dick began his engineering career in 1961 working for a consulting engineering firm in Billings. In 1962 he was offered an engineering position with the US Forest Service, eventually serving on the Kootenai, Kaniksu, and Clearwater Forests. He was later promoted to Forest Engineer positions on both the Deerlodge Forest in Butte and the Siskiyou Forest in Oregon. In 1988 Dick and Bunny returned to Montana when Dick accepted a supervisory position at MTDC (Missoula Technology Development Center). Dick retired from the Forest Service in 1993 but surprised everyone when they learned his "real" career was just beginning.

Dick was an articulate, thoughtful, hard working, dedicated, and well thought of individual with strong political leanings; but no one dreamed he would run for the state legislature. From 1999 through 2004 he served three terms in the Montana House of Representatives where he served on the appropriations committee, and also played a major role in establishment of the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula. Public service became a way of life for Dick, and he ran for the Missoula City Council in 2005 where he served a total of 8 years.

During and after his elected terms in the legislature and on the city council, Dick still found time to serve on several boards and committees. Some of these included vice president of the Lincoln Telephone Board, Travelers Rest State Park, Five Valleys Pachyderm Club, Missoula Aging Services, Montana Glacier Country Tourism, Destination Missoula, and Missoula Ravalli Transportation Management Association.

In spite of Dick's dedication to his public service and volunteer activities, he always found time to enjoy his many outdoor recreational activities and hobbies. Although Dick was a dedicated marksman and hunter, all elk and deer were safe once he took to the field. He was an avid backpacker, fisherman, bird watcher, hiker, and a lifelong road racer with three full marathons and countless Bloomsday 12Ks to his credit. All of these activities always included one or more of his long-time friends; and, oh, the stories they could tell. His hobbies included photography, and he was also a fine woodworker and craftsman. Dick was a lifetime Mason from the Helena Lodge.

Dick is survived by his wife Bunny; son Bob (Christy) and grandsons Russell and Ryan of Boise, ID; and daughter Cyndy of San Diego, CA. He is also survived by his brother Lynn Haines (Bonnie) of Bentonville, AR; and brother-in-law Ronald Baumann of Somers, NY.
Many thanks to the "teams" of Partners in Home Care Hospice, Reel Recovery (fly fishing for cancer patients), and the St. Patrick Hospital Men's Cancer Support Group.

Dick's life will be honored with a short military ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 6th at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery. This will be followed by a Celebration-of-Life and reception at the Heritage Hall at Fort Missoula.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at brothersmortuary.com.