May 14, 1952 to May 14, 2021
Ankeny - Richard Leo Schuett, 69, passed away on his birthday, May 14, 2021 at his home surrounded by loving family.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 17, 2021 at Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church (510 E. 1st St.) in Ankeny, Iowa. Mass of Christian burial will be 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 18, 2021 also at the church. Burial will take place immediately after the service at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, IA.
He was born May 14, 1952, along with his twin brother, Robert, at Fort Campbell, KY, to Darwin and Ruth (Taylor) Schuett, a very proud military family. Because his father was a full time soldier, Ric grew up all over the world, finally settling in Boone, IA, where he graduated from Boone High School in 1970.
He attended classes at DMACC after graduation, then joined the Army in 1972, where he became a Military Police Sergeant at Ft.Bragg, NC, until his discharge in 1975. He joined the Iowa Army National Guard in 1979, attended Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned in June 1980. Ric served for 35 years in the military, was a TAC officer for many years, as well as completing Armor & Infantry Advanced Courses, Command General Staff College, and retired as a Lt. Colonel in 2007.
In 1976 Ric married his first wife, Kathy O'Malley, and they are the proud parents of two sons, Neal and Tim.
In 1978 he joined the Des Moines Police Department and proudly served for 33 & 1/2 years, retiring in 2011 as a Sergeant. He enjoyed mentoring the younger police officers throughout his career. He achieved his BA in Law Enforcement Administration from Marycrest University in 1992.
Ric always lived a life dedicated to service, coaching his sons' teams, being a cub scout leader, and helping with Adaptive Sports paraplegics during RAGBRAI for many years. He made Driver Safety Videos for the State of Iowa, and helped many a teen with driving lessons over the years. He was an active member of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Catholic Church, where he was involved with Knights of Columbus and was a past Grand Knight as well as 4th Degree member. He loved being a Eucharistic minister, usher, and elementary catechist. He was a member of the Ankeny American Legion, and also belonged to PIGS men's Christian group at Lutheran Church of Hope.
Ric had a great sense of humor, and loved telling jokes, especially around a campfire. He and his wife, Denise, married in 1999, and loved camping and traveling, especially with their grandkids, and wintering at southern military locations for several years. His favorite thing in life was being "Papa".
Survivors include his loving wife, Denise; sons, Neal Schuett of Cincinnati, Ohio, Timothy Schuett of Iowa City, IA, and Matthew Johnson of Johnston, IA; two grandchildren, Evelyn and Owen of Cincinnati; brother, Robert (Doreen) Schuett of Charlottesville, VA; sisters, Dona (Gary) Koelling of Mundelein, IL, Dana (Graham) Deacon of North Carolina, Barb (Ed) Picard of Arvada, CO, and Dawn (Ken) Gilliam of South Elgin, IL; as well as several nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth Taylor Faulkner; his stepfather, Jim Faulkner; his father, Darwin Schuett; step-mother, Elsie Schuett; and two sisters, Terry Van Slyke, and Dara Lisa Schuett.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to OLIH Knights of Columbus Council 5038, or Iowa Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge. You can also honor him by giving the gift of life by donating blood.
Special thanks to Dr. Steve Heddinger, Aaron, Dino, and the staff at MOHA, as well as the Unitypoint Hospice team for their care of Ric.
