Richard Gregerson age 84 of Sioux Falls, died unexpectedly on April 25, 2017.

Family will greet friends from 3:00-5:00 pm Sunday April 30, at Miller Funeral Home 507 S. Main Avenue. A memorial service will begin at 11:00 am Monday May 1, at First Lutheran Church.

Dick was born on April 27, 1932 in Hartington, Neb. to T.J. and Harry Gregerson. His father was a pastor, and the family moved to Marshall, Minn. and later to Sioux Falls, where Dick attended Whittier Middle School and Washington High School.

After graduating high school, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in combat during the Korean War as a forward observer, a treacherous job that entailed spotting enemy positions and calling in artillery strikes.

Following the war, Dick attended Augustana College, graduating in 1957. He then went to the University of South Dakota School of Law. In 1958, he was united in marriage to Bonnie Ellwein.

After earning his law degree, Dick joined the FBI as a special agent. His service with the FBI took him to the South during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1962, he was part of the security detail that guarded James Meredith, the first black student to enroll in the University of Mississippi.

He returned to Sioux Falls and joined the Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith law firm in 1963. During the next several years, Dick would work long hours to build his law practice. He and Bonnie and their two daughters, Kari and Lisa, would find time during the summers to vacation at Green Lake, Minn., one of the family's favorite getaways.

In 1978, Dick was elected to the South Dakota State Senate, where he served four years. He built a successful lobbying practice that spanned decades, a period in which he was one of the most influential lobbyists and policy experts in the state. He was also involved in Sioux Falls city government, serving multiple times on the city's Charter Revision Commission. He was active in the city's business community, serving on the board of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, and he was a member of several service organizations.

In 2009, The University of South Dakota Law School Student Bar Association awarded Dick the prestigious Marshall M. McKusick Award for contributions to the legal profession. Augustana recognized him in 2013 with an Alumni Achievement Award.

Dick was a loving husband, dad, grandfather and friend to many. He cherished his human relationships and he doted on the flowers planted at his central Sioux Falls home and his dog, Tuffy. He loved reading, particularly histories and biographies, and he participated for many years in a weekly Bible study.

Dick departs this life having touched and enriched the lives of so many. He is survived by daughters Kari (Mike) Higgins, Ankeny, Iowa, Lisa (Mike Wittrock) Gette, Sioux Falls; four grandchildren, Luke and Jack Higgins, Ethan and Anna Gette; his sister, Karen (Gary) Christensen, Clifton, VA; and companion Judy Rost, of Sioux Falls.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and in 2008 by Bonnie.