Richard Douglas “Poppo” Peschka, 87, a lifelong resident of the Forest Grove community, passed Tuesday morning, February 11, 2025 at his home, surrounded by loved ones.

 

A funeral will be held on Monday, February 17th, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Visitation Catholic Church, 4285 N.W Visitation Road in Verboort, with Fr. Michael Vuky, celebrant. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will precede the Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Rite of Christian Burial with full Military Honors under the direction of the United States Marines will follow the Funeral Mass at Visitation Cemetery. A 21 gun salute will be performed by the Hillsboro Martin J. Ryan VFW Post #2666.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life reception immediately following the cemetery rites, held at the Visitation Parish Hall.

Poppo was born April 15th, 1937 in Hillsboro, Oregon, the son of the late Edmund Nicklaus Peschka and Julia Agnes (Vandehey) Peschka. He received his education in the Verboort community. He attended Visitation High School, starting two months late after attending Mt Angel seminary because he thought he might want to become a Catholic priest. He decided to come home early and we are grateful he did because his first year of high school he met Barbara Jean “Gigi” Van Dyke. He graduated in the class of 1955 and attended the University of Portland for one year.

He decided that college wasn’t for him after a particularly tough chemistry class and enrolled in the United States Marines. He joined in 1956 and served for six years, deploying to Japan. He was stationed there for 14 months and while there he wrote Gigi a letter every day. He was honorably discharged on September 19, 1962, at the rank of Cpl.

Richard Douglas was united in marriage to Barbara Jean on April 4th, 1959 in the Visitation Catholic Church in Verboort. Poppo and Gigi settled in their home in the Forest Grove community and have lived there ever since. They celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary this past April.

He was co-owner and operator at Van Dyke Seed Company in Forest Grove for decades, until he retired in 2001. Poppo was a lifelong member of Visitation Parish in Verboort, a member of Forest Grove Elks Lodge, served on the board for Valley National Bank, served as President of the Pacific Seed Association and the Oregon Seed Trade Association, was director of the Tualatin Valley Irrigation District during the construction of Haag Lake, and a member of Forest Hills Golf Course in Cornelius. He got his first hole in one at Forest Hills Golf Course on February 14, 2001.

Among his special interests, he enjoyed duck and pheasant hunting, rockhounding, jewelry making, and golfing. While raising his daughter’s, he coached their little league and softball teams. In 1975 his team placed 2nd in the state.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edmund and Julia Peschka and his brother Thomas Peschka.

His surviving family include his wife, Barbara Peschka, of the family home in Forest Grove, Oregon; his three daughters and sons-in-law, Cindy Brandt, of Forest Grove, Oregon; Kristi Peschka and Brenden Smith, of Charles Town, West Virginia and Dr. Patti and Dr. Paul Daskalos, of Las Vegas, Nevada.

He has nine grandchildren and their spouses, Douglas and Rachael Brandt, of Cornelius, Oregon; Holley Zigler, of Forest Grove, Oregon; Alexa and Brandon Graff, of Helena, Montana; Natalie Brandt, of Forest Grove, Oregon; Chace Daskalos, of Los Angeles, California; Tristan and Meghan Peschka, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Casey Peschka, of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina; Jaxson Daskalos, of Happy Valley, Oregon and Jessica Peschka, of Fairfax, Virginia that will also be missing him. He was very proud of his six great-grandchildren, Peyton Zigler, Lucas Brandt, Gracie Zigler, Tyler Brandt, Weston Graff, Landry Graff, and Baby Boy Graff who is expected to join the family in June.

The family suggests that remembrances may be contributed to Homes For Our Troops https://www.hfotusa.org