Okotoks, Alberta — Equipco’s founder, Richard “Dick” Reitenbach, died on March 9. The funeral service will be held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Okotoks, Alta, on March 20.
“Dick will forever be in the hearts of those who knew him. He contributed monumentally to our industry, and we are thankful to have had the opportunity to work with such a great man — a true legend,” shared Equipco.
Dick started Equipco in 1982 in a family member’s garage and was instrumental in developing the business across Western Canada until retiring in 2010.
Dick was called a true “motorhead,” owning fast cars, motorcycles, ATVs, and many boats. He was also an avid salmon fisherman, helping start a yearly fishing trip to the east coast of Vancouver Island called “The Westcoaster,” which eventually became an official annual event for Equipco and expanded to fishing lodges in the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Dick is survived by his loving wife Valerie (Loeppky) Reitenbach; his step-children Lisa (Warren) Bechthold and Greg (Linda) Nelson; step-grandchildren Taunie (Nathan) Magnuson and Colby (Kayla) Bechthold; and great-grandson Jaxx Magnuson. He is also survived by his sisters Sylvia (Donald) Ruf and Sharon (Harvey) Litvanyi and sister-in-law Dorothy Reitenbach. He is also survived by his nephews and nieces: Cathy, Neil, Glenn, Bryan, Ronda, Cindy, Cherie, Bob, Lorne, Kim, Greg, Trisha, and their extended families.
In lieu of flowers, donations are asked to be made to Young Life of Canada, the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, or a charity of your choice.