Major Richard A. (Dick) Cilley (Retired US Army)
November 17, 1932 – May 9, 2025
Please join the family at a Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 20, 1-4 pm, North Fork Farm Events.
Along with New Deal politics and FDR, Richard (Dick) Ames Cilley was ushered into the world in November of 1932, born to Henry and Elizabeth (Betty) Cilley in Bradford, NH. Dick attended Bradford Central School and Warner High School, graduating in 1950, and the University of New Hampshire, graduating in 1954.
Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army Infantry in 1954, Dick arrived at Ft Lewis. In 1956, he married Shirley Anne Loveland. Together, they had four children: Dick Jr. ‘ 57, Bradford James ‘ 57, Mark Alan ‘ 59, and Mary Elizabeth ’60, choosing Snoqualmie Valley to raise their brood with Dick working at Loveland Chev-Olds as the General Manager and Shirl as Director of Nursing at Nelems Memorial Hospital.
Dick loved physical activity and the outdoors, river rafting the Snoqualmie, skiing at Hyak, and tennis, his favorite pastimes. Dick retired from military service in 1967, reaching the rank of Major. Dick would say military service was his calling, the only job in which he excelled and absolutely loved.
The 80s brought a move to Aurora, CO. His love for activity, 364 days of sun and outdoors, continued as he climbed each of Colorado’s Fourteeners, played tennis, rode horses and motorcycles interchangeably, and skied down any hill he could find. He volunteered for a living, especially once retired, his most significant effort was cleaning six miles of Aurora roadway for 28 years. It was his daily ritual.
In 2020, Dick moved back to the Snoqualmie Valley to live with his daughter. His volunteer efforts continued, and at 89 and beyond, Dick was regularly at the Mt. Si Senior Center, helping with the daily lunch service, or at home landscaping, or shoveling snow, depending on the day and the weather.
On May 9th, we lost an amazing human in Dick Cilley. He was an adventurer, an athlete, a man of service, a doer, a quirky New Englander who never really got New England out of him.
Dick was preceded in death by his parents (Henry and Betty), three of his siblings (Enid, Alice, and Caroline) and his great-grandson (Curtis). Dick is survived by his brother George (Bradford, NH), the Cilley boys (Dick Jr, Brad (Walla Walla, WA), Mark (Fall City, WA), daughter Mary Barrett (North Bend, WA), six grandchildren (Evan, Joe and Dylan Cilley & Shauni, Ty, and Gary Barrett) and four great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers and to honor his memory and his appreciation of volunteerism, please make donations directly to Mt. Si Senior Center www.mtsiseniorcenter.org. Visit Flintofs.com to sign the guestbook.
