Richard (Dick) Tygart Atwood
Born on October 10, 1934, in Arlington, MassachusettsPassed on March 7, 2026 in Melbourne, Florida
Richard (Dick) Tygart Atwood, 91, of Melbourne, Florida, died peacefully at Brookdale Melbourne Assisted Living on March 7, 2026. Dick was born in 1934 in Arlington, Massachusetts to Earl, Sr. and Elizabeth Atwood and grew up in the family home in Bedford. He graduated from Concord High School in 1952 and served in the Air Force from 1954 to 1958. An assignment to the Cold War radar base near tiny Opheim, Montana, just ten miles south of the Canadian border, led him to church one Sunday where he met Zona Gail Dahl. They were married June 23, 1959 in Madison, Wisconsin.
After he completed an Associate’s degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1961, Dick and Zona Gail moved to Galion, Ohio where he worked for Northern Electric and both of their children were born. Northern Electric was bought by Radiation, Inc., (which in turn later merged with Harris), requiring them to relocate in 1966 to the then largely undeveloped wilds of Melbourne, Florida, where Dick would live with Zona Gail for the rest of his life.
In his role at Harris Controls developing and presenting control system bid proposals for potential electric utility and pipeline clients, he traveled all over the country and the world. Dick retired from Harris in 1997. He enjoyed a second career as the Campus Superintendent for First Church Melbourne, where he and Zona Gail have been active members for over 60 years, retiring for a final time in 2012.
Dick had a strong desire to do the right thing, and equally strong feelings about the right way things should be done. He was reliable and consistent, had an engineer’s mindset, appreciated order and organization, and was a meticulous planner. As part of his ongoing personal battle against chaos and disorder, he continued to mow his own lawn well into his 80s.
Although he had several early tech-related hobbies, including ham radio and electronic kit assembly, Dick’s greatest passion was photography. His serious interest began under the sea, when he became a certified scuba diver and took up underwater photography. He then moved onshore, selling his scuba gear and underwater cameras to finance the purchase of new cameras and construction of a home darkroom. He enjoyed enlarging his and Zona Gail’s photographs, and he was continuously upgrading his photography gear to take advantage of the latest technology.
Family cross-country summer road trips were nearly annual events, usually to visit family in either Massachusetts or Montana. Throughout their lives together, Dick and Zona Gail continued to travel to see family, friends and nature.
Dick enjoyed sports, both as a player and a fan. For many years he played slow-pitch softball, manning first base and regularly belting home runs for various teams in tournaments across Florida into his 40s.
His quiet generosity shone through most tangibly and deliciously with the frequent gifts of baked goods he provided to friends and acquaintances. Holiday bran muffin batter was a tradition for many years, and his other specialties included carrot cake, peanut butter pie, and his mother’s recipe for Boston cream pie.
Dick volunteered in numerous roles over the years: as a member of the First Church Board of Trustees; adult leader of the Explorer Scout Troop at the Church; member of a Church team that went to Haiti to build a Sunday School building; and as a tour guide and representative for Sebastian River State Buffer Preserve.
Dick ultimately succumbed to the cumulative effects of dementia, heart failure, and bladder cancer. The family is grateful to those that cared for him during the last several years, particularly the exceptionally capable and caring staff at Brookdale Melbourne Assisted Living.
Dick was preceded in death by his brother Earl, Jr. and sister Marjorie Riessle. He is survived by his wife Zona Gail, son Glenn (Ellen Cecil), daughter Renae Casey, grandson David Atwood, and many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 3:00 pm in the main sanctuary of First Church Melbourne, 110 E New Haven Avenue. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer’s Association or the Nature Conservancy:
American Heart Association
Alzheimer’s Association
Nature Conservancy
