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Richard “Dick” Boyd Divany

Richard “Dick” Boyd Divany of Hidden Valley Farm on the Jacksonville Road, Marion Township, Pennsylvania, died on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, at Mount Nittany Medical Center. He was 85 years old.

Born on July 31, 1935, in Kane, he was the son of the late Leo “Pat” and Carolyn (Harriger) Divany of Johnsonburg, with younger sister Janice and younger brother Robert.

Dick graduated from Johnsonburg High School and Penn State University with a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi, continuing his involvement long after graduation. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Avillion Award in acknowledgment of his contribution to the fraternity.

He married Jean Goodman on Aug. 31, 1957, and had two daughters, Patricia and Sharon. In 1964, he and his wife Jean joined her sister Kay and husband Robert Stover in founding the family owned and operated Hidden Valley Shooting Preserve at the eastern end of Centre County. Dick and Jean lived on the family property with their dogs for many years.

Dick worked for Raytheon (formerly HRB-Singer) as an Electrical Engineer where he helped to mentor and encourage many upcoming engineers. He had a vast knowledge of how things worked but was always interested in learning more, especially via OLLI classes that he frequently attended with his friend Polly Daniels.

Born with an incredible eye and memory for detail, he could always tell you exactly which painstakingly labeled and catalogued box held the specific item he needed from his move to the farm more than a decade ago, or recite entire branches of the family tree with names, dates and a level of detail that never failed to impress.

He was an avid Penn State football fan, even if it meant giving away every fumble to those around him because his headphones tuned to the local radio station were seconds ahead of the TV. Dick also took great passion and pride in photography, both with traditional cameras and a wide network of motion activated trail cams, set up to capture the various wildlife (and occasional unaware family members) with whom he shared his home.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, sister Janice Wilson of Johnsonburg, wife Jean, daughter Patricia, sister-in-law Kay Stover and brother-in-law Robert Stover. He is survived by his daughter Sharon Divany and her husband David Holdridge, granddaughter Kayley Holdridge, and grandson Tanner Holdridge of State College; friend Polly Daniels of State College; brother Robert Divany and his wife Beverly of Pleasant Gap; nieces Suzanne Fannin of Ridgway, Valerie Stover Anderson of Hidden Valley, and Julie Stover and wife Carrie Koza of Pittsburgh, as well as countless family, friends, fraternity brothers and fellow hunters, all of whom will miss him dearly. Dick was loved by all who knew him, and will continue to shape the lives he leaves behind for years to come.

The family is planning to hold a celebration of Dick’s life in the near future.

As Dick was an avid dog lover for much of his life, memorial contributions may be made to Centre County PAWS, 1401 Trout Road, State College, PA, 16801