Richard Karl "Dick" Westfahl
1938-2016
Richard "Dick" Westfahl, 78, a retired U.S. Navy Commander and corporate executive, died peacefully at his home in Houston on March 6th. 
Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dick attended Washington High School, where he played football, wrestled and was elected senior class president. He received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1959 as a member of the 10th Company.
He began his Navy career aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Edson and then joined the Navy's newly formed nuclear submarine force, serving with distinction aboard the ships Shark, Whale, Gato and George C. Marshall. In 1974 he assumed command of the fast-attack submarine U.S.S. Jack. He earned his M.S. in Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, and retired in 1979 after serving as Deputy Commander of Submarine Squadron Twelve.
As a civilian, Dick led Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation's nuclear technology division of 6,000 engineers, established the company's office in Richland, WA and grew its Houston office from 150 to over 3,000 employees. He later served as President of Raytheon Engineering and Constructors Company and as a Managing Director for Enron Engineering and Construction Company. 
Dick and his wife Jacqueline Westfahl arrived in Houston in 1985 and fully embraced their new Texas home. But for retaining his life-long love for the Green Bay Packers, he was a proud Houstonian who actively supported the city's Opera and Ballet, as well as the Alley Theater. As a founding member of Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church, Dick applied his can-do spirit to help oversee the church's construction and facilities. He also regularly participated in social events and bible study and sponsored annual youth group excursions to Houston Rockets games. He passionately supported the U.S. Naval Academy and took great joy in the success of Navy Football and sports in general. Intensely curious about the world, he used his knack for detailed planning to travel extensively with Jackie in the U.S. and abroad. 
Dick was a natural leader, a builder and a man of extraordinary generosity who lived his life in service of others. He had a special ability to see the path through any challenge and instill confidence in those around him. He offered the world his incredible warmth, strength and integrity, as well as his genuine, sincere ability to meet and listen to people where they were in their own lives, without judgment. We celebrate his legacy of helping people in need and are heartbroken at his loss. 
Dick is survived by his wife Jackie, his three sons Jeff, Scott and Chris, his former wife Dianne Peck, his four grandchildren Joshua, Kevin, Richard and Steven, as well as Jackie's six children Mike, Michelle, Scott, Patrick, Tom and Mary, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 
A memorial service and reception will be held at Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church, 6035 South Fry Road, Katy, TX 77450, on Sunday, March 13th at 2:00 p.m. Dick's final resting place will be the United States Naval Academy Columbarium in Annapolis, Maryland, following a committal service at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 13th. 
Flowers may be sent to Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church or in lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations may be made in Dick's honor to either the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association https://www.usna.com/sslpage.aspx?pid=228 or Grand Lakes Presbyterian Church http://grandlakespc.org/donate Also, Dick lovingly supported the Sweet Heat Jam Company, which provides opportunities to high school graduates with Down's syndrome or other developmental, physical or intellectual disabilities, and the family recommends purchases of their jam from www.sweetheatjam.com.