Obituaries

Richard Vincent Bordsen

Photo of Richard Vincent Bordsen
Richard Bordsen died peacefully in his sleep at home in the early morning hours of Friday, July 15, 2016, after an 8 month complicated diagnosis of lung cancer. He was predeceased by his father, Vincent Bordsen, his mother and stepfather, Inga Wold Nystul and John Nystul, and his brother, David Bordsen. Born on September 14, 1937, in Fargo, North Dakota, Richard grew up in the Fargo/Morehead area playing ice hockey and following his father's boxing career. Later in his high school education, the family moved to Silver Springs, MD, where he graduated from high school. Shortly thereafter, Richard followed his mother and stepfather to Little Rock, where he enrolled in Little Rock Junior College before transferring to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. Richard pursued some graduate classes at the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 just at the height of the counter culture movement. Upon returning to Little Rock after college, he began an career as a civil servant working for the federal government first for the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he worked on the McClellan-Kerr Navigational System on the Arkansas River. After several years, he transferred to the IRS as a Agent Specialist traveling the Central Region of the United Stated investigating and consulting on engineering issues as they related to tax cases. Once he began his career in Little Rock, Rich finally had time to pursue his passion for the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. These pursuits took him to the deer woods in Clark County, countless weekends camping and fishing on Lake Ouachita, deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico off Orange Beach, Ala. He also spent a decade as a "weekend farmer" on a small spread of land in Garland County. In the mid 1960's Richard met and married Ernestene Ammons and their life of travelling and fishing took off. Together, they fished all over the Central United States. Over the next 35 years they travelled numerous times to Canada (above the Arctic Circle), Mexico, Honduras, and finally agreed Alaska was their favorite. Consequently, they went a dozen times fishing in streams mere yards from bears and landing halibut in the Bering Sea that were the size of dining tables. Richard would also set off on his own or with friends to hunt elk, caribou, geese, pheasant, ducks and moose. He was once stuck in a lodge in Alaska for the entire month of September due to inclement weather after a moose hunt. Richard is survived by his wife of 51 years, Ernestene Ammons Bordsen, and son, Timothy Richard Bordsen. Other family includes his coworker from the Corps and fishing/hunting buddy, and eventual brother in law, Thomas G. "Jerry" Noggle and wife Bonnie Ammons Noggle. Brothers and sisters-in-law also include: Louise and David Henderson, Junior and Debbie Ammons, and Waymon Ammons. If you are on the list you have fished with him at some point. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive him. A celebration of Richard's life and a casual memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2016, at Ruebel Funeral Home in Little Rock. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to one of Richard's favorite concerns: The Disabled American Veterans, TheWounded Warrior Project, The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission or a cause of your choice.www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.

Published July 20, 2016

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