Dick Sargent: Mentor to Age 89

“Always be friendly.” Dick Sargent

Richard H. (Dick) Sargent remained active, working, volunteering, mentoring, and serving in politics, until he died suddenly of cardiac arrest at age 89.

Dick was born in 1934 in Tsian, China, where his parents served as missionaries. They returned to the United States while his was still a young child.

Dick graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1957. He served in the Marines, and later the Marine Reserve, retiring as a Colonel.

For much of his working life Dick was a stockbroker.

I first met Dick in the 1990s, introduced by a mutual friend. Dick always impressed me, in the best possible way, as being an old-school broker, with an honest sales pitch for a stock he believed in. His passionate promotion, sweetened with a genuine smile, was a journey back to a bygone era in financial services. I enjoyed every interaction.

Dick’s enthusiasm was uplifting and quietly contagious. His genuine enjoyment of people, including the example in front of him, was obvious.

Dick was politically active throughout his life. He served on the Golden, Colorado, City Council from 1981–1985. He was a Regional Transportation District (RTD) director in 1999. He was the Republican nominee for Colorado State Senate District 20, receiving a respectable 43% of the vote running against Democrat Moe Keller. Full disclosure: I lived in District 20 during those years and know both Moe and her predecessor and endorser Ed Perlmutter. Moe was elected twice as State Representative and twice as State Senator, before being term limited. There was no shame in losing an election to Moe.

Dick also ran in Republican state primaries for Treasurer and Governor.

Dick started a Shaklee distributorship at age 75.

He volunteered with the Civil Air Patrol into his 70s.

He was active in Rotary Club.

In his 80s Dick actively recruited for the service academies. He was especially passionate about promoting the Merchant Marine Academy. Dick would identify and encourage high school students to apply. His wife Dr. Patricia D. Sargent, who is a writer, would assist the candidates, editing their essays and helping them navigate the application process. Nearly all the 125 students they helped gained entrance to an academy. I personally know three of them, siblings, who graduated from West Point or the Merchant Marine Academy and are now advancing in their respective careers.

Dick stayed physically fit. He awoke every morning at 5am, then went to the Golden Recreation Center at 6 am to work out with his friends.

Dick suffered a massive heart attack while preparing to leave the first post-COVID social gathering of his beloved Rotary Club. He died immediately. He lived full-bore, smiling, enjoying life, and impacting the rising generations of our society’s leaders, right to the end.

A few questions:

1. What opportunities could you develop to impact high school or college aged individuals? Who could you encourage?

2. How could developing the habit of a smile and a genuine warm welcome to the person in front of you energize your own experience?

3. Are there ways you could serve your community politically? Could a friendly smile and genuine respect for your political opponents further goodwill?