Richard “Rich” H. Pederson: A Life Remembered

Richard “Rich” H. Pederson, 81, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, passed away on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Crestview Manor in Webster City, Iowa, surrounded by his loving family. He bravely battled Fronto temporal Dementia and Squamous Cell Carcinoma affecting Cranial Nerves 4, 5 and 6, under the care of St. Croix Hospice and the staff at Crestview Manor. Historic Bruce Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Early Life and Education

Born on November 25, 1944, to Ernest T. And Ruth M. (Gullixson) Pederson at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Dodge, Rich was the seventh of eight children. He grew up on a farm southeast of Bode, Iowa, and was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Church in Bode. He excelled in sports while attending Twin Rivers High School in Bode.

Athletic Pursuits and Military Service

In the fall of 1964, Rich attended Fort Dodge Junior College on a football scholarship, earning the title of most valuable player as a running back despite the team’s winless season. He married Joan Ault on November 20, 1965, at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Dodge, receiving his draft notice on the same day.

Rich enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and specialized training in Biloxi, Mississippi. He and Joan welcomed their daughter while stationed in San Angelo, Texas, and later served at San Vito dei Normanni Air Force Base in Italy, where Rich worked as a Non Com Morse Code Intercept Operator. Their son was born at East Kelly Air Base in San Antonio, Texas. He received an honorable discharge in 1970 with the rank of E-5 and returned to Fort Dodge.

Career and Entrepreneurship

Following his military service, Rich worked at Fort Dodge Labs before transitioning to Hormel, where he was employed until the plant’s closure. While working at Hormel, he pursued higher education, graduating from Iowa Central Community College in 1975 and Buena Vista College in 1977 with a double major in Psychology and Sociology.

Rich demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit by selling fresh gulf shrimp from a Dodge pickup and later establishing Pederson’s Sport About in Humboldt, Iowa, a successful sporting goods store which he sold in 1987. He also worked as a delivery driver for Central Iowa Distributing, a wallboard loader at National Gypsum, and a Correctional Officer at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, retiring in 2010.

Hobbies and Interests

Rich was an avid sports enthusiast, refereeing high school football games and passionately supporting the Dallas Cowboys and Iowa State University Cyclones football teams. He enjoyed collecting Route 66 memorabilia and dreamed of traveling the historic highway. He played rapid-pitch softball for Pasquale’s in the 1970s, known for his unique pitching style, and enjoyed jogging and maintaining his lawn.

Family and Remembrance

Rich is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan Pederson of Fort Dodge; daughter, Tiffany (Rick) Carlson of Fort Dodge; son, Rich II (Tina) Pederson of Des Moines, Iowa; granddaughters, Meghan Donnelly, Haley Hundley, and Hannah Pederson; great-granddaughters, Charlotte Hundley, Kinsley Reynolds and Amani Metobo; stepgrandsons, Chad Carlson, Nick Carlson, and Ryan Carlson; step great-grandchildren, Rial, Archie, Gus, Cayl, Cade and Lainey; sister, Rosalind (Dan) Collins of Long Grove, Iowa; brother-in-law, Robert Bakken of Council Bluffs, Iowa; and sister-in-law, Jeanne Reynolds of Urbandale, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Ruth Pederson, and siblings, Audrey Harris, Ruth Bakken, Karen Moen, Douglas Pederson, Johnny Pederson, and Pete Pederson.

Celebration of Life

A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 13, 2026, at the First Presbyterian Church, 1111 5th Avenue North, Fort Dodge, with Pastors Paul Masters and Shawn Roberts officiating. Military honors will be conducted by the VFW Post 1856 and U.S. Air Force Honor Guard. A gathering of family and friends will be held from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at the First Presbyterian Church. Memorials may be directed to the family. Online condolences may be left for the family at Historic Bruce Funeral Home’s website.