Obituary

Richard J. “Dick" Ansher, 95, of Des Moines, passed away at 11:55 a.m. Sunday March 2, 2025 at Methodist Hospital following a stroke.

Interment, and a brief private graveside service, will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 6, 2025 in Glendale Cemetery in Des Moines, with Rabbi Neal Schuster officiating. A celebration of life and headstone dedication will take place at a future date to be determined by the family.

Richard was born May 8, 1929, in Des Moines, a son to Louis David Ansher and Genevieve Bernstein Ansher, who were immigrants from Russia and Lithuania, respectively. Other than years in college, he lived his entire life in Des Moines.

Richard is survived by his son, Jay Ansher of Bloomington IL, daughter Lynn Ansher of Las Vegas NV, and grandson Alexander Ansher; nephews Lee (Sherry) Cranberg of Boston MA, James (Judith) Cranberg of Glendale WI, Andrew (Renee) Cranberg of Buffalo Grove IL; and niece Marcia (Samuel) Wolff of Washington DC, as well as eight great-nieces and nephews. Richard is also survived by three first cousins, Barbara (Michael) Oberstein Kaplan of Warminster PA, Judy Bernstein Shorstein of Jacksonville FL, and Jaqueline (Michael) Oberstein Wald of Albuquerque NM. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Norma Elaine Cranberg, his brother-in-law Gilbert Cranberg, and first cousins Alan Bernstein, Thomas Diamondstone, and Bennett Oberstein.

Richard grew up in Des Moines and graduated from Roosevelt High School in June 1947. He attended Drake University before continuing his education at the University of Iowa where he was a founding member of the UI chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity in 1951. He graduated from Iowa with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Social Work in the 1950s, before working for a number of years at Iowa Children's Home Society. He spent the bulk of his career as a social worker for the Veterans Administration Hospital in Des Moines, where he was employed beginning in 1968 until his retirement in 1990.

He was a lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan, a passion he regularly shared with both his children, in addition to other family and friends. He could regularly be found in the public libraries of Des Moines and West Des Moines, where most of the staff undoubtedly know him by name, as he was a voracious reader of fiction and nonfiction alike. Richard also enjoyed jazz music, especially live performances at Drake University and other local venues.

He played golf and tennis well into his eighties, regularly participating in the Iowa Senior Games. His dedication to health and fitness continued into his nineties, when he still walked, biked, and worked out at local fitness centers, as well as being a regular blood donor for years. His love of geology led him to a decades-long hobby of rock tumbling and polishing, and more recently was a member of multiple bridge groups.

Richard's truest passion, however, was being a father, uncle, and grandfather. He never missed important family events, and when his children were young, he delighted in planning long family driving trips and summer vacations to many destinations around the US, especially national parks. He was a member of Tifereth Israel Synagogue as a youth, Temple B’nai Jeshurun for much of his adult life, and a longtime member of the National Association of Social Workers.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Des Moines Public Library, West Des Moines Public Library, The Turner Jazz Center at Drake University, Des Moines Jewish Federation, Temple B'nai Jeshurun, the American Red Cross and University of Iowa Athletics.

Condolences and memories of Richard may be shared with the family
at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/richard-ansher-obituary?id=57709068.


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