Richard "Dick" Hautau

Richard “Dick” Hautau, 82 of Detroit, passed away Tuesday evening, July 22, 2025, at Besser Senior Living Community in Alpena.

The son of Gordon and Dr. Emily (Ripka) was born on December 7, 1942, in East Lansing. He was raised here and graduated from East Lansing High School in 1961. Dick went on to Michigan State University in Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture and graduated in 1966. He was a member of the MSU marching band, concert band, and pep band. He married Dolores Jean Harding on May 16, 1965. Together, they had a daughter, Deborah, in 1966. On July 25, 1980, he married Sharon Whitney Beltz.

He worked for the City of Detroit for over 20 years and retired as Chief of Landscape Architecture. He was the first elected from Michigan to the American Society of Landscape Architects in the public sector. It is the highest professional honor, with a minimal number of members receiving this honor. He was a professional ski instructor at Blizzard Ski School for 26 years. One of his greatest accomplishments was helping to organize the BMWMOA (Motorcycle Owners of America) in the early 1970s. He was a liaison and was named the nation's 1st ambassador in the BMWMOA. During his life, he had several BMW Motorcycle’s, and loved riding, putting on over 1.8 million miles since the early 1960s. This year he received the highest award from BMWMOA, “Friend of the Marque,” which is the World’s highest award to be achieved. Dick was an Eagle Scout in Troop #12 and Explorer Post #112, and was elected governor for a day in Scouts on Government Day.

He was preceded in death by his parents, both his wives, and a brother, Charles Hautau.

Surviving are his daughter Deborah (Mark) Milostan of Alpena, 3 stepchildren, Cindy (Tom) Beltowski, Bob (Shawn) Beltz, and Cathy (Bob) Butcher; 11 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandson.

Services will take place at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, MI, on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 1:00 PM at their chapel in the cemetery.