Richard F. Cerino

MISSOULA – Richard "Lefty" Cerino passed away at his home in Missoula on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. He was born Nov. 28, 1928, to Michael J. Cerino and Rose (Cecconi) Cerino in Anaconda. His mother died two months later, so Dick was raised by his grandparents, Catherine and Frank Cerino.

Lefty graduated from Anaconda High School in June of 1946. He participated in football, basketball and boxing while in high school. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in June 1946 and served until May 1948. Dick served overseas in Japan for 1 1/2 years and played football, basketball and boxed.

Dick received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1948 and then attended the University of Montana, where he played football and basketball. After graduation he enrolled in physical therapy school at New York University. He completed his degree in physical therapy in September 1953 and started work on his M.A. degree while working full time at the NYU Bellevue Institute for Rehabilitation. He received his M.A. degree in February 1954.

On June 1, 1954, Dick went to work as a physical therapist at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. Through his hospital work, he touched the lives of many people who required physical rehabilitation. After a career of 36 years and seven months, he retired as director of Rehabilitative Services. During Dick's tenure at St. Patrick Hospital, he was able to develop the rehabilitation department from a one-person department to a rehabilitation department with diversified programs of occupational therapy, speech therapy, sports medicine and cardiac rehabilitation.

Dick spent much time in the great outdoors of Montana where he loved to hunt, fish and play golf. He was a lifelong Grizzly fan and supporter of the football and basketball programs. In addition, Dick met three mornings a week at the Press Box with the "coffee club." Equally important to him was the "Anaconda group" that met once a month at the Bodega for lunch. He always looked forward to these social events.

Dick married Elizabeth D. Clarke in Anaconda in 1955. They had four children: Mike, Cathy, Tony and Lisa. They divorced in 1970. Dick and Dorothy Schweer were married in Missoula on Sept. 14, 1998. Survivors include his spouse and soul mate, Dorothy; son Mike (Mandy) of Dillon and their children Michelle Cerino (great-grandson Anthony Gage Cerino) and son Tom Cerino; Dick's son Anthony Cerino of Crover Beach, Calif.; two daughters, Cathy Alexander and Dick's grandson Michael Alexander of Ventura, Calif., and Lisa Cerino (Jack Kintsel) and their daughter Lauren; and two stepchildren, Forest Henning of Missoula and Tundra (Bruce) McDougal and their children Chloe and Logan of Boise, Idaho.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at Garden City Funeral Home, 1705 W. Broadway, where a reception will follow.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made in Dick's honor to the Grizzly Athletic Association or Partners in Home Care Hospice, 2687 Palmer St. Suite B, Missoula, MT 59808.

Dick's life was full of challenges, and yet he always faced them in a positive way. I will always remember his cheerful whistling in the morning, his singing and playing the piano with his dear dog, Jake, singing along. Dick loved Montana and the mountains and would like to leave you with one quote from Alfonso Ortiz: "Whatever life's challenges you may face, remember always to look to the mountaintop, for in so doing you look to greatness. Remember this, and let no problem, no matter how great it may seem, discourage you, nor let anything less than the mountaintop distract you. This is the one thought I want to leave you with."

Read Richard Cerino's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.