Richard Lowell (Dick) Carruthers was born in Keosauqua, Iowa on October 18, 1942, and died in Rancho Mirage, California June 13, 2025. The oldest son of Bill and Evelyn Carruthers, he is survived by sisters Sue Gilchrist and Deb Kirchner, brothers Steve (Nedra), Fred, and Dan (Paula) Carruthers, children Andrea, Todd (Jodi) and Scott (Glynna) Carruthers, grandchildren Charles and Theo Grimes, and Sophie Carruthers, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents, and siblings Charlotte Overstreet and Darrell Carruthers.
Dick came from humble beginnings, becoming known as a reliable hard-worker at a young age. He put himself through school, beginning a career as an anesthesiologist shortly after marrying Marcy Kaiser in 1966. Dick practiced anesthesiology – which he was passionate about and loved his entire career – in Davenport, Iowa from the mid 1970s until he retired in the 2010s.
It’s not an exaggeration to say Dick became a new person when he became a grandfather and retired. The impatient farm kid delighted in traveling around the US and Europe; cooking his mother’s recipes and experimenting with exotics like French onion soup, cacio e pepe and sous-vide; fishing with his grandsons; and shopping with his granddaughter. He moved to Rancho Mirage, California year-round in 2018 and quickly developed deep roots in a community of delightful golf-loving friends. Several hosted a party for his last birthday in October 2024, a particularly happy memory for many close to Dick.
Dick’s final days, while not a surprise, came as a hard shock. Typical of him, he knew the end was coming well before anyone else. Reflecting on that now, his final words to his grandchildren sum up his life and legacy:
I’ve had a great life. I hope you have a great life too. You’re off to a helluva start.
Friends are welcome to join family at an interment ceremony at Fellows Cemetery in Keosauqua, Iowa at 2:00 p.m. on August 4, 2025.
