Richard ‘Dick’ Devlin: April 11, 1939 – June 19, 2021

Richard (Dick) Warren Devlin, 82, succumbed to the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on June 19, 2021, at Spring Creek Memory Care in Bellingham, Wash.

Dick was born April 11, 1939 in Cheyenne, Wyo. He attended schools in Cheyenne, graduating from Cheyenne Central High School. Even before graduating he joined the U.S. Navy and traveled to Great Lakes Naval Training Center for Boot Camp. After completing his active duty he returned to Wyoming working to achieve his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and master’s degree in education administration from the University of Wyoming.

After teaching world and American history for seven years at Laramie High School, in Laramie Wyo., Dick moved into high school administration, first as assistant principal, then principal in Green River. Dick was principal of high schools in Lusk and in Riverton. The family moved to Washington state in 1981 when Dick became the high school principal in Sumner for 10 years and followed that as the principal of Oak Harbor High School in Oak Harbor, Wash. from which he retired in 2004. From 2009 through 2019 Dick was a clinical supervisor for Western Governors University student teachers in Island and Skagit counties. He was a 30-year member of Rotary Club of Oak Harbor; a national director of and past-NW Region president of Navy League of the United States and past-president of the Oak Harbor Navy League Council.

Dick was a U.S. Navy reserve member, retiring from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in 1999 with 23 years of service.

In April 1968 in Cheyenne, Dick met his life partner Diane Barnes. Four months later, in August, they married. The next 53 years were spent together raising two sons, Kelly and Keith. Keith predeceased Dick in 1993 at 18 years from an unknown heart defect.

Dick is survived by his wife Diane; son Kelly and daughter-in-law Heather, of Bellingham; sisters Judith (Don) Thomas, of Longs, S.C., and Meredith (Jay) Bondurant, of Cheyenne Wyo. He was preceded in death by Keith and his parents, Norma and Patrick Devlin.

Should friends and family desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund at https://curealz.org/giving/donate/ or Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center or Whatcom Humane Society.