Richard Keith Esser was born on April 24, 1936 to Bernice (Fowler) and Charles A. Esser. His father was a newspaper man from the Midwest. Their marriage did not last and when the war broke out, his mother went to the South Pacific to do her part for the USA. When she arrived back home in Utah, she had a new husband and a new puppy for her son. Dicks stepfather was in the military and this meant several years of moving around the country. Dick faced all the challenges of being the “new kid” in town. Being involved in sports let him fit in and make many friends. After high school, Dick studied at Utah State University. He married his first wife and had two sons, Brad and Brian. Dick eventually made his way to Phoenix where his father was living. He also spent time in Alaska working for a surveying company. He returned to Phoenix and began to work for Maricopa County transportation department. He then took a job with the state of Arizona. He then worked state Department of Transportation. He worked his way up to the position of Right of Way manager, a busy job when freeways were being planned and built in the Maricopa County and the rest of the state. He also spent several years with the attorney general’s office supporting attorneys with transportation issues. He took an early retirement and formed his own company, again providing legal support to his clients. He played golf as often as he could and was good enough to claim two holes-in-one. He met his wife, Holly at the downtown YMCA where they joined a group of runners. Together they ran in many races, including a marathon. They enjoyed traveling together around the country and two trips to Europe. Dick always loved his dogs and had several of them over the years. In his later years he could be found at a gym or on the golf course. He is survived by his wife, Holly; sons Bradley (Sally) and Brian; ten grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.