IN MEMORY
(May 27, 1934 – March 15, 2019)
Richard “Dick” Rolfe Madson: friend, mentor, persistent missions advocate, builder, vice president and so much more at Gospel Outreach.
Dick passed away March 15, 2019, in Walla Walla, Wash., after a short illness.
Born May 27, 1934, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to James and Hildur Madson, Dick was one of five children.
He attended Upper Columbia Academy in Spangle, Wash. After graduating in 1952, he attended Walla Walla College. Dick and Kathryn Post were married in the fall of 1953 and soon had two daughters, Kristi and Karie.
Graduating in 1956, Dick was hired as an accountant in Walla Walla. In 1959, Dick accepted a position as accountant for Western Alaska Airlines in Alaska.
In 1995, he retired and moved back to Walla Walla, where he began 20-plus years of service at Gospel Outreach.
Dick’s own words, from an article published in this newsletter in 2012, seem particularly fitting now:
“Saying goodbye when we know that this is the last time we will see each other in this life is so difficult. What a wonderful assurance to have God’s promise that we will see our loved ones again in His amazing new capital city.”
Revelation 14:13 speaks about the death of those who work for the Lord:
“And I heard a voice from heaven. It said, ‘Write these words! Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Yes,’ the Spirit says, ‘that they now rest from their labors. And their works will follow them.’”
Dick’s works certainly will follow him, and it will bring great joy to see the resulting harvest when we gather for the greatest family reunion of all time. Let’s work together to hasten the day.