Cmdr. Richard Eddy "Dick" Sargent, USN (Ret)

MADISON - Cmdr. Richard Eddy “Dick” Sargent, USN (Ret) made his transition on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, at the age of 94, at Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge, in Madison, Wis., due to progression of a rare blood disorder and complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Dick had a long and happy life, and received wonderful care from Oakwood and Agrace Hospice staff up through the end. Dick was born in Malden, Mass., on Sept. 16, 1926, a son of Walter and Pearl (Hallworth) Sargent, and grew up in Concord, N.H. His father’s death when he was 9 helped instill strong work and frugality ethics, as he sold newspapers to help his family. In 1944, Dick left high school and his Sea Scout ship, the “John Paul Jones,” to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a quartermaster on a tank landing ship (LST) in the Pacific Theater and the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, he finished high school, received a BA in Hotel Administration at the University of New Hampshire in 1951, and enrolled in Naval Officer Candidate School. Dick met his future wife, Martha Bassett, while they were both working at Palmer Lodge, in Keene, N.H. On July 12, 1953, two days after Dick completed Naval Officer Candidate School, he and Martha were married in her hometown of Sandown, N.H. During his naval career, Dick served on a number of ships and was present at several historic conflicts. He was a junior officer on the aircraft carrier Essex during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs operation, and later served as the executive officer of the ammunition ship Shasta during the Vietnam War. He also served on the destroyer Stickell as an operations officer and the landing ship Fort Mandan as an assistant navigator. His land-based posts with his family included four years with the Joint US Military Aid Group, Greece (JUSMAGG) in Athens, Greece, and several posts in Virginia and Rhode Island, where he also attended Naval War College, and Pennsylvania, where he retired after 31 years of active and reserve service. He always enjoyed sharing stories from the Navy, and loved the opportunity it provided to see the world and provide security for his family. Dick earned 13 medals and commendations from the Navy, including the World War II Victory Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star, and the Navy Commendation Medal. He was recognized as a hard worker, with great organizational and leadership skills, and was known for being outgoing, friendly, and energetic. After retirement from the Navy in 1975, Dick and Martha settled in Springfield, Va., where they both worked tirelessly as volunteers with the Fairfax County Park system, local Ravensworth Farm Civic Association, the Golden Ravens Senior Club, and the Chesapeake Area Chapter of the Ataxia Foundation. Dick and Martha received a number of recognitions for their volunteer work in the community, including Dick and Martha Sargent Day on May 26, 2006, when they were presented with a plaque, and a painting of Lake Accotink Park, where they led and participated in many projects. They were also honored in 1999 with the naming of one of the park shelters- the McLaren-Sargent Pavillion, in recognition of their volunteer work, along with neighbor Chet McLaren. In addition, they were presented with an engraved marble clock in 2006 for their volunteer work with the local chapter of the Ataxia Foundation, an organization that meant a lot to them, as Dick’s sister had struggled with the disease. Dick always strove to serve his family, community, and country. He took great joy in family gatherings with his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids, and he was always up for a game of rummy! He was often laughing, energetic and engaged with life, although the last nine months were a challenge as his mobility and cognition declined. He also loved his two retirement communities- Greenspring Senior Living Community in Springfield, Va., and Oakwood Village, Prairie Ridge, in Madison, Wis., where he enjoyed life and new friends during the last three and a half years. Participating in the Badger Honor Flight on his 91st birthday was another treat. He felt like a movie star with all the celebrants! We will miss him, and are glad he is now at peace. We like to imagine his spirit is reconnecting with our mom and other long departed family and friends. He set a goal of living to age 95, and he made it to his 95th year- 94 years, 2 months, and 12 days. Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Pearl and Walter; his wife, Martha; and his siblings, Walter Sargent, Ruth Foote and Barbara Upton. He is survived by his children, Nancy (Tom) Sundal and Walter Sargent; his grandchildren, Kendra Arbaiza-Sundal (Daniel), Matthew Sundal, David (Trisha) Sundal, Amy (Jonathan) Stokdyk; and eight great-grandchildren, Aubrianna, Caley, Eli, Ilyssa, Karinna, Megan, Owen and Lily Stokdyk. In lieu of flowers, if you wish to make a remembrance gift, we suggest the Oakwood Foundation, 6201 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53705 (https://www.oakwoodfoundationinc.org), or the Fairfax County Park Foundation, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA 22035 (https://fairfaxparkfoundation.org/). Funeral services with Full Military Honors will be held at Ft. Myer Chapel on Friday, September 17, 2021 at 1:00pm with interment to follow at Arlington National Cemetery , where he will be interred with his wife of 63 years, Martha Sargent. Saturday, September 18th, at 11 am, there will be a memorial gathering at Lake Accotink Park, at the Sargent McLaren Pavilion shelter, that was named in honor of Dick and another volunteer. It is a large, covered, outdoor shelter, with plenty of seating as picnic tables. If you go to the lake Accotink Park website, you can find a map and directions and picture of the shelter. You would enter through the back entrance at 5660 Heming Avenue to a parking lot. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420