Richard A. Rehnke
Marriages
Sharon L. Sausman - September 5, 1967
Obituaries
The Daily Sentinel page 11B - March 5, 2023
Richard A. Rehnke went
to be with the Lord on
December 22, 2022, in
Mesquite, NV. Born on May
27, 1940, in Minneapolis,
MN, to Weldon A. Rehnke
and Harriet Fredrikson
Rehnke. Married to Sharon L. Sausman in Denver,
Colorado, on September 5, 1967, they recently celebrated
their 55th wedding anniversary.
Educated in the Denver Public Schools and graduating
from South Denver High School in 1958, he then
enlisted in the United States Army with assignments in
Korea, and later to the US Military Academy in West
Point, NY.
In May 1967, he joined the Colorado State Patrol.
First assigned to Frisco, he was promoted to Technician
in 1975, transferring to Glenwood Springs in 1980. In
1989, he proceeded to head up the State Patrol Accident
Prevention Team. He was also a highly regarded
member of the motorcycle division of the State Patrol.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service medal in
1992 for heroism in the line of duty.
Retiring in 1994 with 30 years of service, he then
proceeded to teach defensive driving for several years in
the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. In 2016, Richard
and Sharie moved to Mesquite, NV, where he continued
to volunteer, teaching reading to the local elementary
school children.
Richard is survived by his wife; Sharie of Mesquite,
NV, daughter, Karen Sinclair of Phoenix, AZ; son,
Craig Rehnke; and his husband, Michael Smith of New
York City, NY; his grandchildren, Connor Sinclair and
Brooke Greeley; her husband, Chris Greeley; and great
grandchildren, Olivia, Elise, and Morgan of Colorado
Springs, CO; many nephews and nieces; his brother,
Robert and his wife, Jeanie Rehnke of Highlands
Ranch, CO; and their daughter, Sabrina Rehnkeand her
children, Dexter and Oriana from Oregon.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Calvary Chapel,
Mesquite, NV on March 20, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. with a
reception to follow. The family invites you to leave a
message or memory on their tribute wall at starmortuary.
