Born August 2, 1932, Dick passed peacefully into eternal life on January 21, 2020.
He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 64 years, Beverly (Connell); daughters Lesli and her husband Peter Abraham of Astoria, NY, and Cammy and her husband Channing Warbelton of Omaha, NE; son John and his wife Jean of Dudley, MA; and grandchildren Joseph (and his wife Deepti) , John Patrick (and his wife Kayla) and Michael Tilly; and three generations of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister Andy and her husband Doc Hills.

Dick loved his family and took great joy in challenging them all to explore and deepen their knowledge of history, religion, politics, music and the arts. Born in Denver, CO, to John C. and Ruth Sipple Tilly, and raised in Goodland, KS, Dick was an Eagle Scout and served his country in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. Afterwards, he earned a degree in Architecture from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at UNL, he joined Kappa Sigma fraternity where he formed a lasting bond with a closely-knit group of friends who have remained inseparable to the end.

Dick practiced architecture in Lincoln and Omaha, NE, then later in Topeka, KS. He was an avid patron of the arts, particularly during his time in Omaha, where he served for many years as a volunteer on the boards of Opera Omaha and the Omaha Symphony. He was also supremely dedicated to his faith and his church, serving as a vestryman at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Omaha, and also volunteering in many ways to support Grace Cathedral in Topeka. He believed deeply in service to others and to your community, and in volunteerism in support of anything and everything that drives passion in you.

Dick was passionate about many things - ok, pretty much everything - not the least of which was his alma mater. An avid Husker fan, he served on the board of the North Kansans for Nebraska, helping to unify that group into an active and energetic fan base here in the heart of Jayhawk country. He loved his family, his friends, and relished both deep conversation and raucous parties. He loved to sail with his young family, loved to challenge the winds, and loved launching everyone into the water when he so often lost that challenge!

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at Grace Cathedral in Topeka. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Endowment Fund of Grace Cathedral, 701 SW Eighth Avenue Topeka, Kansas 66603