WAPPINGERS FALLS - Richard Allan “Dick” Ainsworth, 85, an area resident since 1957, died on November 6, 2018, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center.

Born on Staten Island on February 18, 1933, he was the son of the late Charles Ralph and Dorothea Helen (Lunt) Ainsworth. As a young boy, Dick enjoyed raising chickens and his dog Spotty. His interest in ham radio, call name K2BLP, led him to meet the love of his life, Eileen Austin.

Graduating from Tottenville High School in 1951, he went on to serve our country in the US Air Force from 1951-1955. On November 6, 1954, in Staten Island, Dick married Eileen Austin. Eileen and Dick began their married life in Nevada, where Dick was stationed. The couple returned to Staten Island where they welcomed their first child, Eileen Joyce in 1956.

In 1957, Dick was recruited to join IBM, and the family moved to Wappingers Falls, where they had four more children. While raising his family and working full-time at IBM, Dick earned a B.S. in physics from Marist College, graduating in 1969, and leading to his first engineering position. During his 37-year IBM tenure, Dick was granted numerous patents. Dick was always helping his children with their math and science homework. He loved working on cars, TVs, radios and all things mechanical and electrical. He always ordered the shop manual for his new cars and did most repairs himself. With the right technical documentation in hand, Dick could build and fix anything!

Dick loved to drive and travel. While the children were growing up, Dick enjoyed packing up the crew in the family 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser for the 8-hour trip to Wayne, Maine, every summer, occasionally forgetting a child at the rest stop on I-95. On Lake Pocasset, Dick enjoyed fishing, boating, swimming and photography. During their retirement, Dick and Eileen enjoyed their getaway home in Blairsville, Georgia, with good friends from their early years. They also enjoyed their trips to Boston, Chicago, Florida, Nevada, and San Diego, and to visit their grown children and grandchildren.

Dick enjoyed time with his friends in the Wednesday morning “Coffee Club” at the Wappingers Falls McDonalds. He never forgot a birthday or graduation of any of his beloved grandchildren. He liked listening to Rush Limbaugh on the radio, talking politics, and monitoring aircraft traffic control communications from his home scanner. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Wappingers Falls.

In addition to his wife Eileen at home, he is also survived by his children and their spouses, Eileen and Garth Slocum of Chatham; Judy and Jack Cobean of Arlington, MA; Susan Ainsworth and Eduard Lanzinger of Rhinebeck; Richard Ainsworth Jr. and Beth of Pleasant Valley; and Janet and Joseph Campanella of Clifton Park; his grandchildren, Ellen and Leah Slocum, Brandon Cobean, Adam and Evan Finley, Richard Ainsworth III, Nicholas, Blake and Rebecca Campanella; his great-grandchildren, Arlo Finley and Penny Horvath; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He was predeceased by his siblings, Ralph, Willard, Doris, and Charles (Herb).

Calling hours will be held on Monday, November 12, from 1-4 pm at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, at 10:30am at the funeral home followed by interment in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice. Please visit Dick’s Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.