Richard Coughlin

Heaven gained a truly funny Irishman today. His spirit was as vibrant as the green hills of Ireland, and his kindness touched the hearts of many. Richard had a unique way of making everyone feel welcome and ensured you had a full belly and drink in hand. He started every morning with a cup of coffee, followed by “doing what he did best” while scanning the Post Crescent obituaries to see if he was featured. That day has arrived!

Richard Coughlin, age 92, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 26, 2024. Born on August 6, 1932, in La Crosse, WI. He was the beloved son of Maurice J. Coughlin and Lillian G. Blystad and preceded in death by his brothers Donald, Bernard, John, and Ambrose, as well as his sisters Jane Mueller and Mary Schmitz. He is survived by his sister Sally Miller and a host of loving family members.Richard married Peggy Ann Flock on August 3, 1957. Tragically, Peggy passed away suddenly on April 1, 2004, while on a trip with her quilting friends. Richard is also survived by his children “true chips off the ‘ole block” Terri Coughlin, Jeff (Ginny) Coughlin, Kevin (DaRae) Coughlin, Mary Beth (Jeff) Otto, and Patty Jo Coughlin. His cherished grandchildren Adam (Jessica), their children Eliza, Joella, and Cecilia; Ben (Melissa), their children Aoife and Eamon; Emma; Andrew (Megan) their son Avery; Cameron; and Nick, Megan and Katie.

Richard later found love again and married Helen Sachs Coughlin on June 16, 2012. Helen brought into Richard's life her children Amy (Craig) Batley, their children Gavin, Lauren, Conner, and Ava and Todd (Suzy) Weisgerber and their children Brady, Jakob, and Zachary. A proud graduate of the Aquinas High School class of 1950 and a football lineman of the 1949 undefeated champions, later inducted into the inaugural Aquinas Wall of Fame. In 1950, Richard enlisted in the Navy during the Korean Conflict, where he served two of his four years with the Marines as a Dental Corpsman in Japan. He went on to earn a degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.In 1959, Richard began his career as an Adjuster in Madison with Home Mutual Insurance Company, then transitioned to the Civil Service Commission in 1962 doing background investigations. He returned to Home Mutual in 1965 with a move to Eau Claire as a Sales Representative covering NW Wisconsin. He then moved to Appleton in 1974 with a promotion to Sales Manager. His strong integrity and entrepreneurial spirit led him to resign and start Personalized Insurance Agency. Started by a small newspaper ad titled “Where are Dick and Mary?” that fueled a successful 20-year career until his retirement in 1998.In his retirement, Richard volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul, a testament to his generous spirit. He had a passion for fishing in Wisconsin and Canada and enjoyed traveling to Mexico multiple times. His annual trips to Phoenix to visit his daughter Patty Jo were particularly special to him. He will be fondly remembered for his monthly poker games with the guys and his infectious humor, which made life “not just good, but fantastic!”. Richard’s love for his family was evident in everything he did, taking great pride in their accomplishments and was a constant presence at their milestones. Whether it was teaching them how to cast a fishing line or gobbling up his mother’s famous molasses cookies or cracking a joke that left everyone in stitches, he had the rare gift of turning ordinary moments into cherished memories.

Visitation will be held at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 1810 N. McDonald St., Appleton, on Thursday, January 2, 2025, from 1:30 PM until 3:30 PM, followed by a funeral Mass. NOTE: please allow time for parking as school dismisses at 3:00 PM. Inurnment will be in Riverside Cemetery, Appleton.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), St. Vincent de Paul, St. Jude’s Hospital or a charity of your choice.

Ar dheis dé go raibh a anam dílis…there will never be the like of them again.

“And that’s all she wrote…”