Richard Curtis Wallace Dahlin

Richard "Dick" Curtis Wallace Dahlin was called home to Heaven on January 17th, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Dick was born August 22nd, 1939, to Evelyn and Earl in Minneapolis, Minnesota during The Great Depression. His family moved to Oakland, California where he attended grade school. Being in California he and his family spent many days on Half Moon Bay playing on the sandy beaches of the Pacific. His family moved back to Minneapolis to be closer to other family and more job opportunities were available for his father.

Dick graduated from the very first graduating class of Spring Lake Park, a new suburb at the time, in 1957. After graduation, he and several good friends joined the Marine Corps. During his time in the Marines, he served in Taiwan, Hawaii and Japan. One fun memory he recalled was while at sea near Taiwan, the captain of the ship stopped and let the marines go for a swim in the ocean.

After his time in the service, Dick worked as a delivery truck driver. Although, he had his heart set on another job, NSP (now known as Excel Energy). He applied repeatedly for six months until he was finally hired. He worked his way up to being an operating engineer. He worked there until he retired.

In 1966 he met his love, Linda Mae Cleveland. They wed in 1967 and spent 59 wonderful years together. Together they raised two children, Eric John Dahlin and Patricia Marie Dahlin.

Dick was also a marathon runner and had run in enough Minneapolis and Duluth marathons to qualify to run in the Boston Marathon, which he did in 1987. In his later years he volunteered for U.S Fish & Wildlife Services in the Detroit Lakes Wetlands Management District. He loved this work, it was his pride and joy, but his time there was cut short due to his seizure disorder, which would become a big part of the rest of his life.

Dick was always an avid fisherman and outdoorsman. As a young boy he often went with his family to Mille Lacs Lake to fish in the evenings. It had always been a goal of his to live on a lake so he could fish any time he wanted. In 1989 that goal became reality. Dick and Linda purchased a home on Cotton Lake in Rochert, Minnesota. He spent many years fishing that lake, hunting that land and studying the native birds. He spent countless hours showing his grandkids and great-grandkids his love for the outdoors.

Dick is survived by his sister; Carol Shypulski (Tom), loving wife; Linda Dahlin, son; Eric Dahlin (Julie), Daughter; Patricia Dahlin, Granddaughters; Elizabeth Knops (Peter), Madelyn Andvik, Megan Jund (Tony), Grandsons; Justin Dahlin, Andy Dahlin, Jonathon Dahlin and three great-grandchildren; Liam, Everett and Nora Andvik.

Dick is preceded in death by his parents; Earl and Evelyn, sister; Gloria and Brother; Donald.

"What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us" -Helen Keller