A Eulogy for My Dad

Richard “Dick” Post was born on June 28, 1943, in Hood River, Oregon. His father was stationed there during World War II. The family later moved to Fargo, North Dakota.

After graduating from Fargo Central High and taking some college courses, Dad settled into a career as an interior decorator. Over the years he worked at various furniture stores in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Dad could have made more money as a traveling salesman but opted for jobs that allowed him to come home every night to be with my mother, sister, and me. Often our evenings were spent watching TV and playing an occasional board game. Dad sometimes brought meals home for us such as hamburgers, pizza, and Mexican food. In recent years when I came home for a visit, Dad and I usually ate out at Asian buffets.

During the 1970s, Dad’s work prospered him enough to own three cars including a corvette that he sometimes drove me to school in (to the envy of my classmates). Summer weekends were usually spent at Big Sugar Bush Lake in central Minnesota where we had property with a mobile home and speedboat. My dad won numerous sales contests. Prizes included vacations he took with my mother to Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Mexico, and Switzerland.

We had our share of family trips. Among them were drives to the Badlands, Canada, and Wisconsin that included a stopover in the Twin Cities to see the Bee Gees in concert. Once we flew out east and saw relatives in the Rochester, New York area where my dad’s parents were originally from. Eight years after that, Dad won another trip to Hawaii and brought us kids along. It was the first time I got to escape freezing temperatures during the winter.

Many boys desire to follow in their father’s footsteps career-wise. That wasn’t really true for me. I worked a few sales jobs but never had an interest in furniture. Dad and I were briefly involved in a couple of business ventures together. One of them was a video recording service that might have succeeded through better marketing. Eventually, I went into the ministry.

Dad and I had disagreements regarding spiritual matters. He was raised in a strict Methodist home but later explored other religions. Still, we occasionally attended the Lutheran church my mother’s family went to and a couple of times visited an Evangelical Free church my sister’s family were part of. Prior to him having open heart surgery in 2008, I asked Dad if he knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He said he did. A year later after we had dinner together, Dad told me, “Even though we don’t agree on some things, I’m proud of you for reaching out to others.”

Dad never retired. He continued selling furniture up until a month ago when he was rushed to the hospital for breathing difficulties. Initially, Dad appeared to be recovering. Then last Tuesday, I received a text from my uncle informing me my father had passed away. Richard Post was 74.

For a while, my mind struggled with the certainty of Dad’s eternal destiny. As an evangelist, I desired to hear him make a bolder declaration of knowing Jesus and even hoped we would minister together someday. Talking and praying with friends have since increased my confidence in my earthly father being with our Heavenly Father. It will be interesting to see how Dad’s heavenly home compares to the homes he decorated on earth. 

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” - John 14:1-2