Albert Richard “Dick” Siskey, 86, Atchison, Kansas died Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the Atchison Hospital.

Mass of Christian burial will be Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 10:00 A.M. at Sacred Heart Church with Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery. A parish rosary will be recited on Wednesday, January 11th at 6:00 P.M. at the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home with visitation with the family to follow until 7:30 P.M. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Benedict Parish or the Atchison Library and may be left in care of the funeral home. Online condolences and messages to the family may be left at www.arensbergpruett.com.

Richard was born on August 5, 1930 in St. Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Francis and Florence (Inbody) Siskey. His parents divorced and his mother later married Bill Orler and they moved to West Mineral, Kansas. He graduated from Mineral Rural High School in 1948 and began teaching in a one room school south of Columbia, Kansas.

In May of 1952, he entered the United States Army and was stationed in West Berlin. After his discharge, he returned to Kansas State Teachers College (Pittsburg State) and completed work on his Bachelor’s Degree.

He and Verbena Omeck of Cherokee, Kansas were united in marriage on August 13, 1955 in West Mineral, Kansas. They moved to Atchison where he was employed by the USD 409 at Washington Elementary, Martin West Elementary and both Atchison Junior and Senior High Schools for thirty-seven years until his retirement.

He was a member of St. Benedict Parish in Atchison, participating at Sacred Heart Church where he served as a lector for over forty years. He was also a member of the Fleming-Jackson-Seever Post #6 of the American Legion, Knights of Columbus Council #723, National Education Association, Encore Players at Theatre Atchison and Friends of the Atchison Library. He was named “Mr. Atchison” during the celebration of the Atchison Sesquicentennial. He served as a volunteer at the Atchison Visitor Center and the Sacred Heart Variety Store. He and his wife enjoyed many years of traveling in both the United States as well as numerous foreign countries, especially Alaska.

Survivors include his wife of sixty-two years, Verbena Siskey, Atchison, KS, three children, Tina (Steven) Pahls, Kansas City, MO, Tim (Diane) Siskey, Kansas City, MO, Mary Liggett, Atchison, KS, one sister, Rosemary Morrison, Pittsburg, KS, seven grandchildren and two great grandsons.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Pete and Michael Orler, and a son-in-law, Loren Liggett.