Richard "Rick" Kirchhoff

Richard Boyce Kirchhoff, 76, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home on March 31, 2022 after a brief journey with cancer. Rick was a dedicated husband to his wife Penny, and beloved father of their four children, Erin, Kimberly, Kyle, and Ryan.

Rick graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was deployed with the Army as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. During his time serving his country, he rose to the rank of Colonel in the Army Reserves.

When he returned home from Vietnam, Rick served as a helicopter instructor pilot at Ft. Rucker, Alabama for two years. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was a great champion for children’s health and led a pediatric dental practice for more than three decades in Illinois. He also joined McHenry County Head Start in the early 80s and served as a board member for the next 30 years. When Rick closed his private dental practice, he continued to work out of clinics in underserved communities in the northwest Chicago suburbs, so that all children had access to quality dental care. His patients affectionately knew him as Dr. Rick.

After losing his son Ryan to suicide in 2005, Rick began volunteering for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). His dedication to suicide prevention and mental health grew over the years, and he served in numerous leadership roles with the organization at the local, state, and national levels. He also served for 10 years as the President of the Board for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) McHenry County.

Rick was a life-long learner and took his role as a student very seriously. It was not uncommon for him to take on additional roles, tasks, and commitments throughout his life, as he was incredibly adept at picking up new skills and sharing his gifts with others.

Rick is survived by his wife Penny and children Erin [Jo], Kimberly Schneider [Mark], and Kyle [Heather]. He was preceded in passing by his son Ryan, his parents Susanne and John Ernest “Ernie,” and his brother John.

Visitation will be held at Davenport Funeral Home in Crystal Lake, Illinois on Friday, April 22 from 3–7 pm. A memorial mass will be held at Resurrection Catholic Church in Woodstock, Illinois on Saturday, April 23 at 11:00 am with visitation beginning at 10:00 am. The family will hold a private interment.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rick’s fundraising for the Chicagoland Out of the Darkness Walk, benefitting AFSP at https://supporting.afsp.org/participant/rick