Dr. Richard Neuder, 97
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 2 days AGO
Dr. Richard Ray Neuder, DDS, 97, passed away peacefully with family by his side Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, at his home in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Services will be held Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church, Sandpoint. A lunch reception will follow.
Dick was born March 15, 1928, in Detroit, Mich., to Louis and Edna Neuder. He grew up in Detroit and spent summers working on the family farm. After graduating high school, Dick earned his bachelor degree in biology from Wayne State University. Dick honorably served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War. After being discharged in January 1953, he worked with Parke Davis Pharmaceutical on the development of the Salk polio vaccine.
During this time he was pursuing two other interests, his career choice in dentistry and his future wife Mary. These goals were realized when he attended dental school at the University of Detroit from 1955-1959 and he and Mary were married on Jan. 21, 1956. Upon his graduation in 1959, they both worked in his dental practice in Dearborn, Mich., and continued to work together when they moved to Sandpoint in 1966 with 3-year-old son Steve.
During his career, he held offices in the North Idaho and Idaho State Dental Societies, was honored by Governor Andrus by appointment to the Idaho State Board of Dentistry for a five-year term, and in 2000 was selected as the Idaho Dentist of the Year. In addition he did voluntary dental missions in Belize and in a mobile clinic in the Sandpoint area. He was deeply grateful for his dedicated and proficient staff of assistants and generations of loyal patients! He retired in 2005.
Dick was a member of the First Lutheran Church, where he served in a variety of functions and needs. He enjoyed gardening — particularly raising Dahlias, wood working, skiing, hunting, traveling, and fly fishing in many parts of the world. He was an avid runner and completed over 30 Bloomsday races from 1986 through 2019, when he was 91. Even after he could no longer complete the 7.4-mile race, he continued his running ritual until January, 2024, 1.5 months shy of 96. For almost 50 years he was a fixture around Memorial Field and Lakeview Park, regularly raising a hand to wave at cars passing by. Many neighbors set their clocks by his early morning runs through the neighborhood, and kept a watchful eye out for him in his later years. — Thank you! In his own words, “Life has been a great trip.”
He is survived by his son, Steve (Elizabeth) Neuder of Sandpoint; two granddaughters, Julia and Camille; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mary Neuder; brothers, Bill and Louis Neuder; and sister Julia Costello.
The family extends our deepest gratitude to his team of caregivers, to Bonner Community Hospice, and to the “village” that is our community!
Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Dick’s online memorial at lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.