R.I.P. Richard A. (Dick) Busch Semper Fidelis
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Richard A. Busch
(October 22, 1946 - June 8, 2010)
Ballston Spa, NY - Richard Arthur Busch of Maple Ave. took his noon bus home one last time to return to the arms of his wife, the late Catherine Anne (Budka) Busch who passed away in July 2008. Richard passed away in comfort and in peace surrounded by his loving family and friends after a sudden and brief illness at Saratoga Hospital on Tuesday June 8th 2010. He was 63.
Born on October 22, 1946, he was the son of the late Clifford and Casimira (Grodecki) Busch. A lifelong Amsterdam resident, Richard grew up on Vrooman Avenue. He is a 1964 graduate of Wilbur H. Lynch High School in Amsterdam. Upon graduation Richard enlisted in the United States Marine Corps proudly serving his country as a Sergeant from December 1965 – June of 1969. While in the Marine Corps, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam (DaNang) and received an honorable discharge in June of 1969. On July 12, 1969 Richard married his sweetheart, Catherine and they settled to raise their family on Clarke Ave. in Amsterdam until 1990 when the family moved to the Saratoga Springs area.
Richard is an alumnus of Fulton Montgomery Community College in Johnstown, NY where he earned an A.A.S. in 1974. He later continued his studies at Siena College in Loudonville in communications. Richard worked for Mohasco Corp and Coleco Industries before finding his calling as a telecommunications analyst for the State of New York, retiring in October of 2008. In his spare time Richard found great pleasure in supporting his children in their various activities including umpiring for Amsterdam’s Little League baseball teams. He was an avid sports fan where he could often be found enjoying the New York Yankees, football and horse racing on a regular basis. He and Cathy also enjoyed sitting on their porch listening to the oldies, the Sunday morning Skidmore Polka Party and watching the Tuesday Polka Show on television. Richard also enjoyed gardening, fantasy baseball, hockey, traveling and taking bus trips throughout the northeast.
Richard is survived by his sons, Jeffrey and Kevin Busch, both of Ballston Spa; his daughter Lisa (Busch) Milewski and her husband Christopher Milewski; his four year old twin grandsons Patrick and Ryan Milewski with whom he resided with in Ballston Spa; his mother-in-law and father-in-law Lottie and Thaddeus Porembski of Jacksonville Florida; several cousins and many friends.
The family sends their deepest appreciations to the wonderful, caring and supportive nurses in Saratoga Hospital’s ICU who will forever be engraved in our hearts: Cathy, Tammy and Doreen, and D1 Nurse Stephanie for not only taking such amazing care of Dad in his final hours but also his entire family. You all have gone far above and beyond the call of duty and God blessed us with each of you during this difficult time. Thank you for being there for us every step of the way. Lastly, a special thank you to a dear friend Rev. Chris Mickel from Rock City Falls Volunteer Fire Department for sitting and praying with our family along dad’s bedside.
Relatives and friends may call from 5 to 8pm Thursday (June 10, 2010) at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway (584-5373).
Graveside services with military honors will be held at 2:30pm Friday at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Road.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Albany Medical Center Children's Hospital, 47 New Scotland Ave., Albany, NY 12208.
Online remembrances may be made at www . burkefuneralhome . com.
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Richard A. (Dick) Busch Semper Fidelis
This was written by a gentleman, Dan New, with whom Dick and I work.
Sadly......sadly and slowly,
another veteran has slipped away,
into the void we will all know.
Many of us came
to know him
later in his life.
Long after his
service had ended and
his war had faded.
We may have seen him
as a man that
wore his wounds and memories,
in a way, we do not all understand.
He rarely spoke of the price
he paid a long time ago.
His service took something from him
and left in its' place,
a wound in his heart.
But there was a time,
when he was a young proud Marine.
Let us all lend our hearts
to this young patriot in this time of mourning.
