R. A. “Dick” Prosence
April 23, 1924 — March 21, 2020 R. A. “Dick” Prosence, a former resident of Phoenix and a veteran highway engineer and administrator died at his home in Meeker, Colorado, on March 21, 2020. He was 95 years old.
Dick came to Phoenix in 1982 to help direct the design development for the Papago Freeway, the last segment of Interstate Route 10 to be completed in the United States. He introduced the concept of colored concrete for bridges and retaining walls to Arizona, something ADOT had not done up to that time. He initiated the idea of drilling large underground drainage tunnels to handle storm water runoff from the depressed sections of the freeway. Before that idea emerged, large concrete box culverts were planned, which would have had severe impacts on access to property along the drainage outfalls and would have completely disrupted traffic flow.
Dick grew up in Utah and Colorado. After graduation from the University of Utah in 1950 with a degree in civil engineering, he worked for the US Bureau of Public Roads for six years before putting in 26 years with the Colorado Department of Highways. The last 13 years he served as District Engineer for all of northwest Colorado. He supervised the design of Interstate 70 from the Utah state line easterly some 180 miles to Silverthorne, CO. Noteworthy segments included Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon.
Dick loved the outdoors He was an avid fisherman who tied his own flies. He would often go without supper in order to fly fish during the evening Hiking, camping, and backpacking into the wilderness were all activities he eagerly followed. Motorcycles became an addiction in later years, including dirt bikes and street bikes. He and his wife, Beverly, explored many hundreds of miles of trails and roads in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. At age 70 he switched to jeeping. Favorite rides were over Four Peaks to Punkin Center AZ and past Lake Pleasant to Crown King AZ.
Dick was the author of over 100 “Letters to the Editor” covering many topics. His letters were printed in papers in Phoenix, Denver, Aspen, Vail, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Meeker, Craig, Montrose and Gunnison. Experiences from the development of 1-70 are written in his book, Building 1-70. Wheels in my Life describes his fascination with wheels, whether attached to tricycles, bicycles, motorcycles, cars or trucks.
Dick is survived by his wife, Beverly, children Cas Nelson (Dale), Gillette, WY; Paul Prosence (Nancy), North Salt Lake City, UT; Matt Prosence (Konnie), Glenwood Springs, CO; step children: David Dickman, Grand Junction, CO; Annie Long, Meeker, CO; Paul Dickman (Denise), Phoenix, AZ; several grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a celebration of life will be held later in the summer.