Richard Chisholm

Richard (Dick) Wilson Chisholm passed away peacefully on September 14, 2025, at the age of 90. Born on December 28, 1934, in Staten Island, New York, Dick was the son of Harold Douglas and Irene (née Letts) Chisholm. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 6 years achieving the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

A loving and supportive husband, as well as a devoted and engaged father, Dick was the calm and steady foundation of his large family. Although he built a career in technical sales and management, he valued relationships over professional achievements. What mattered most was mentoring those who worked for him and sharing lunches with clients. His greatest fulfillment, though, came from sitting down at the dinner table after work surrounded by his wife and six children.

Dick was deeply involved in his children’s lives, coaching their sports teams, organizing swim meets for the Sycamore Flying Fish, and participating in Boy Scout activities, among many others. Kind, charitable, and patient, he placed his family and faith at the very center of his life.

Dick had the gift of conversation and connection, and he had a playful sense of humor. He asked questions, listened intently, and remembered details — your name, your spouse’s, your children’s, even the new job or recent move you mentioned months before. Into his 90s, he could be found walking the halls of the Christian Village at Mason, greeting staff and residents alike by name with warmth and sincerity.

If asked about his hobbies, Dick would insist he had none, often with a knowing smile. But those who knew him best knew otherwise. He liked gardening in the backyard and golfing with family and friends. In retirement he volunteered for the City of Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department and became an amateur financial and tax expert. Though a reluctant Bridge player, he was happy to oblige because Elissa, his beloved wife, loved the game. Dick was also an accidental tourist. He preferred to stay home, but it was his wife, Elissa, who made suggestions to visit the family across the U.S. and travel to faraway places like England, Scotland, Russia, Poland, New Zealand and Japan. She did the prodding, but he happily planned the trips and always enjoyed the adventures she took him on. In the final weeks of his life he told his children, “Your mom really gave me a life.”

The pool was another place that brought Dick joy. Whether coaching the Loveland Swim Team or training for his next Masters meet, swimming was a lifelong passion. He trained at the Blue Ash YMCA during his years in Montgomery and later at the Mason Community Center after moving to their retirement home. Swimming proved instrumental to his recovery after a major stroke in 2016, and he continued to swim into the final months of his life.

Dick was preceded in death by his wife, Elissa Marie (née Shields) Chisholm; his son, Richard G. Chisholm; his parents, Doug and Irene Chisholm; his brother, Robert Chisholm; and his sister, Carole Ann Walter. He is survived by his children: Susan (Rick Buckmann) Chisholm, Elizabeth Chisholm, Cathy (Shawn) Blankemeyer, Meg Chisholm, and Bill (Laura) Chisholm; thirteen grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

A Catholic Mass will be held on October 4, 10:00 am EDT, at Good Shepherd Church, 8815 E Kemper Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45249.

A Celebration of Life Luncheon will be held on October 4, 11:30 am EDT, in the Hockley Chapel in the main building at the Christian Village of Mason, 411 Western Row Rd, Mason, OH 45040.

In lieu of flowers, the Chisholm family kindly requests donations to Matthew 25 Ministries. https://m25m.org/

If you would like to stream the mass, please use this link at the time of service: https://good-shepherd.org/live-stream-good-shepherd-mass

To access the mass after the service is over, please use this link:

https://good-shepherd.org/live-stream-archives