Family, friends remember state-winning wrestler Richard Loeding
Published 10:22 am Thursday, January 29, 2015
Richard Loeding, left, was inducted into the Austin Hall of Fame in 2013. Loeding passed away Jan. 21. Herald file photo
‘A heart for the underdog’
Richard Loeding knew what it was like to be against the odds, and it helped him motivate those around him.
Loeding, who passed away last week, was inducted to the AHS Athletic Hall of Fame for wrestling in 2013. Loeding, who graduated from AHS in 1971, overcame a broken hand to win a state title in the 95-pound weight class his senior year.
He was able to have success in wrestling, thanks in part to his time with his younger sister Heidi Hargan, who is 12 years younger than Loeding. Hargan remembered helping Loeding learn his wrestling moves at a young age.
“I quickly learned what a nelson and a half nelson were because of my big brother,” Hargan said. “I loved it, because it was attention from my big brother. He was my protector.”
Loeding was the oldest of the five children in his family and grew up in Mapleview.
He received a scholarship to compete in wrestling at the University of Jamestown in North Dakota, but his wrestling career was cut short by a car accident.
Richard Loeding was a standout wrestler for Austin High School. Photo provided
Loeding eventually settled down in Austin, where he worked as a laser engraver at Anderson Memorials. He also became active in the Faith Evangelical Free Church, where he met Judi Needham in Bible study.
Needham said that Loeding was very dedicated to his faith.
“He was very faithful in his faith and that’s mainly how we knew him,” Needham said. “He was a very deep thinker. He didn’t just take things on face value, he would think about it.”
Needham said that Loeding would watch her dog for her whenever she needed it, and she described him as a good person.
“He was a very loyal person. He had a lot of friends in town,” she said. “He was a very compassionate, loyal guy.”
Hargan, who now lives in Wisconsin, said that her brother would make trips to visit her during the holidays over the last few years. She said that Loeding may have been a little off-putting on the outside, but those who got to know him saw that he had a heart of gold and would do many things for people who were close to him.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Hargan said. “He has a heart for the underdog and always has. He will search out the person who is need and sit and talk with them. He can be a little bit impatient with those who feel entitled. He was a real special guy.”
Loeding passed away Jan. 21 after he suffered a serious heart attack Jan. 8 following a right hip replacement on Jan. 6.
