Richard Melvin Brynestad

Richard (Dick) Melvin Brynestad passed away peacefully at his home in Gig Harbor on June 6, 2018 with his beloved family near his side.  His life was marked by his love for Jesus and love for his family.  This included his five children and their spouses; Becky and Jim Brown, Cindy and John Medak, Jane and Paul Dow, Bart and Berta Brynestad, and Pollyann and Jim Butler, as well as 14 grandchildren with 10 spouses, 17 great-grandchildren and his sister, Phyllis Tobiason.

He was born in Tacoma to the children of Scandinavian immigrants on Nov 9, 1929, attended Stadium HS where he was a celebrated athlete and served on a Naval destroyer in the Korean War.  He married his high school sweetheart Rosemary Martenson in 1951 and after 64 years of marriage she preceded him to heaven in 2015. 

He began the construction company, Brynestad Builders and was a master craftsman his whole life.  He was a proud member of the Normanna Norwegian Chorus for over 25 years and after his retirement from the building career loved rocking babies in the neonatal unit at TG for over 12 years. 

He shall be fondly remembered for his avid love of boating and snow-skiing, the astonishing beauty of the gardens he created, but most of all for his warm and loving father-hugs that he gave frequently and liberally to so many!  

A Celebration of his life will be held on Saturday June 23^rd at 1:00 at Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor.

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