Richard “Rich” H. Pederson

Richard “Rich” H. Pederson, 81, of Fort Dodge, Iowa, passed away on March 6, 2026, at Crestview Manor in Webster City, surrounded by his loving family. He faced his long battle with frontotemporal dementia and squamous cell carcinoma with courage and grace.

Born on November 25, 1944, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Dodge to Ernest T. and Ruth M. (Gullixson) Pederson, Rich was the seventh of eight children. He grew up on the family farm southeast of Bode, where he was baptized and confirmed at St. Olaf Church. A standout athlete at Twin Rivers High School, he went on to play football at Fort Dodge Junior College before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force.

Rich and Joan Ault were married on November 20, 1965, at the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Dodge. Their life together took them across the country and overseas during his military service as a Non-Commissioned Morse Code Intercept Operator. The couple welcomed their daughter in San Angelo, Texas, and their son at East Kelly Air Base in San Antonio. After an honorable discharge in 1970 with the rank of E-5, Rich returned to Fort Dodge with his young family. He worked at Fort Dodge Labs and Hormel, earned degrees in Psychology and Sociology through night classes, and later owned and operated Pederson’s Sport About in Humboldt. He continued working as a delivery driver, wallboard loader, and correctional officer, retiring from the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility in 2010.

A dedicated high school football referee for many years, Rich remained a passionate fan of the Dallas Cowboys and Iowa State Cyclones. He loved his Route 66 memorabilia, fast-pitch softball, jogging, long walks, and tending his immaculate lawn. Above all, he cherished time with his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Audrey Harris, Ruth E. Bakken, and Karen Moen, brothers Douglas, Johnny, and Pete, and many nieces and nephews. Rich is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan Pederson of Fort Dodge; daughter Tiffany (Rick) Carlson of Fort Dodge; son Rich II (Tina) Pederson of Des Moines; granddaughters Meghan Donnelly, Haley Hundley, and Hannah Pederson; great-granddaughters Charlotte, Kinsley, and Amani; step-grandsons Chad, Nick, and Ryan Carlson and their families; sister Rosalind (Dan) Collins; brother-in-law Robert Bakken; sister-in-law Jeanne Reynolds; and many nieces and nephews.