Funeral services for Rick Washut, 70 year old lifetime Johnson County resident who passed away suddenly at the Johnson County Health Care Center in Buffalo will be held Tuesday, June 9th at 10:00 a.m. at the Big Horn Baptist Church in Buffalo with Pastors Scott Lee and Don Paulson. Visitation will be held at the Harness Funeral Home Chapel on Monday from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Donations in Rick’s memory may be made to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in care of the Harness Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo. A private family interment will be held after the funeral. Online condolences may be made at www.harnessfuneralhome.com
Richard Dean Washut was born May 4, 1950 in Buffalo, Wyoming to Harry and Lois Washut. He grew up and went to school in Buffalo and graduated from the Johnson County High School with the class of 1968. After high school he worked for the Kauffman Ranch for a couple years. He was married on January 8, 1971 in Buffalo to Christy Voiles and they made their home in Buffalo. Rick worked construction for a short time before becoming an Iron Worker and was a crane operator. In the early 1980’s he was certified as an E.M.T. and worked for the Johnson County Ambulance until 1990 when he entered nursing school. Rick received his RN from Sheridan College in 1992 and took a job with the Johnson County Health Care Center. He was divorced in 1995 and on August 12th, 2000 he was married to Linda Larson. Rick and Linda made their home in Banner and Rick continued with the hospital until he took a job with the Sheridan Memorial Hospital in 2008. Rick went to work as a nurse for the Veteran’s Hospital in Sheridan in 2013 where he worked until his death.
Rick was an active member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the American Wild Sheep Foundation and the Gold Miners Association. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and was in his element spending time in the Big Horns or on a lake. Rick spent time working as a guide and outfitter with O.B. Caudle for Black Tooth Mountain Outfitters, a company that they owned and operated from 1983 until 1987. Rick accepted Christ in 1999 and continued to grow in his faith.
He is survived by his wife Linda Washut of Banner; three daughters, Erin Stratton and her husband R-J of Riverhead, Kent in the UK, Megan Washut and her partner Michael Walter of Buffalo, and Rachel Burke and her husband Dan of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; two step sons, Kalob Rodriguez and his partner Hannah of Buffalo and Chandler Rodriquez of Banner; three brothers, John Washut and his wife Cheryl of Buffalo, Tim Washut and his wife Vicki of Glendale, Arizona and Harry Washut and his wife Connie of Buffalo, and; four sisters, Judy Markwell and her husband Don of Decatur, Illinois, Roberta Vaselin and her husband John of Buffalo, Teresa Heck and her husband Tom of Clear Lake, Minnesota, and Linda Washut and her wife Kathy Kelkenberg of Fountain Hills, Arizona; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents
