Matthew R. "Dick" Torma, 75, of
Sunset Road, Ironwood Township, Mich., died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Essentia
Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, with his family by his
side. Dick was born Jan. 30, 1939, in Ironwood
Township, son of the late Matthew and Wilma (Bay) Torma, and graduated from
Luther L. Wright High School in 1957. He then served stateside in the U.S. Navy
from 1958-1962. On March 4, 1961, he was married to the former
Mary Ann Cedarstrom at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ironwood, by the late Rev.
Oliver Halberg. Following his honorable discharge from the
Navy, Dick returned to Ironwood, where he completed an apprenticeship and became
a union pipefitter with U.P Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 806, retiring in
1998. An avid Lake Superior fisherman, Dick loved
fishing out of Saxon Harbor on his boat the "Moby Dick" with his constant
companion and first mate, his wife of 52 years, Mary Ann. He also
enjoyed chartering with his close buddy, Charlie Maslanka, of Saxon. He was a
member of the Saxon Harbor Boating Club and Ironwood American Legion Post
5. Dick was a wonderful husband, father and
grandfather and maintained a close relationship with all members of his family.
"Papa Dick" had a very special loving relationship with his granddaughter Kayla
and was interested in every detail of her life. He will be dearly missed by
all. Surviving are
his wife, Mary Ann; two sons, Clark (Jodi), Norway, Mich., and Richard (Greg
Brunello), Golden Valley, Minn.; a granddaughter, Kayla Torma (Chad), Marquette,
Mich.; a sister, Gretajean (Bernard) DeRubeis, Palm Desert, Calif. and Barnes,
Wis.; and special little friend, his dog Windsor. Besides his parents, Dick was predeceased by a
granddaughter, Carly Jo Torma, on Oct. 11, 1992; and sister, Marijane
Tomich. Out of respect for his wishes, cremation has
taken place. Private family services were
held. Condolences may be offered to Dick's family
online at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to
McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood.