Richard "Dick" Amack

Richard E. Amack was born August 7, 1931 on a farm 2 1/2 miles Southeast of Red Cloud to parents Edgar Raven Amack and Gertrude Marie Wiggins Amack. Richard was the first born of six children, having three brothers and two sisters. He departed this life on Monday, May 4, 2015 at the Webster County Community Hospital in Red Cloud, Nebraska.
Richard attended a country grade school, District 85, in Webster County for the first eight years of his education. Richard then attended Red Cloud High School graduating in 1949. He was a member of the Red Cloud Band and participated in high school football and boxing. Richard completed his formal education at the University of Nebraska earning a Degree in Agriculture Chemicals in 1953.
Richard sold life insurance while studying at the University of Nebraska and also became a Mason while attending the University. After graduation he was employed with Ortho Chemical Company.
On June 19, 1955 Richard married Shirley Oschner of Sutton Nebraska, whom he had previously met and dated while attending the University. Richard and Shirley had four children Loy Amack, Tracy Amack, Thomas Amack and Susan Amack.
In 1960, he began his career with Exxon Oil Company, (now Exxon Mobile), selling agro fertilizer and chemicals. Due to his agriculture degree in agro-chemicals, along with his past sales and management experience with Ortho Chemical Company, Richard was soon promoted to higher management positions in the Exxon Oil Company. In 1967, Exxon Oil Company formed a foreign company to sell agriculture chemicals and fertilizers in Costa Rica, Central America. Richard was promoted to manager of that foreign division of Exxon Oil Company and moved his entire family, his wife and four children to Costa Rica, Central America. In 1970, the company made the decision to sell the chemical and fertilizer business to a government entity and Richard remained an employee with Exxon Oil to train and educate the new owners about the business. Thereafter, Exxon Oil offered Richard several other management positions. However, Richard decided to remain in Costa Rica and begin to sell agriculture chemicals to the Costa Rican farmers as an independent entrepreneur. Richard named his company Crystal Chemical Inter-America.
Richard had a U.S. partner, Joe Eller, who owned a chemical manufacturing plant, Cumberland Chemical, in Houston, Texas. Joe Eller manufactured many of the agro-chemicals for Crystal Chemical Inter-America. Joe and Richard became lifelong business associates and friends. They often traveled together throughout Central and South America. Joe Eller passed away in May 2007, while traveling in Germany. This was a very sad time for Richard.
During his tenure operating and expanding Crystal Chemical Inter-America, Richard personally traveled extensively to numerous foreign countries including Europe, Southeast Asia, China, and India to purchase raw materials to manufacture agro-chemicals for resale. Additionally, he traveled to and had personal customers and business contacts in Mexico, every country in Central America and nearly every country in South America, to sell retail agro-chemicals to farmers and agro-chemical supply companies.
On September 7, 1983, Richard was united in marriage with Carmen Sanchez of San Jose, Costa Rica. Three children were born of their marriage, Ricardo Amack, Stephanie Amack and David Amack.

In 1986, Richard begin to build a agro-chemical manufacturing plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador and moved the home office of Crystal Chemical Inter-America to Ecuador. Richard's younger brother Ronald Amack was the Ecuadorian Corporate Officer for Crystal Chemical Inter-America manufacturing plant until his untimely death in February 1988.
In 1997, Richard sold Crystal Chemical Inter-America to Juan Manuel Perez, his son-in-law, and to his daughter, Loy Lynn Amack Perez. Crystal Chemical Inter-America is operated by Juan and Loy and is still located in Ecuador and continues to prosper and expand. Juan and Loy are currently constructing a new and larger agro-chemical manufacturing plant in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
In 1999, Richard built a summer retirement home in Wisconsin and thereafter spent each summer in Wisconsin while enjoying his family, along with numerous friends and visitors.
In 2002, he made a donation to the Red Cloud Golf Club assisting the club with funds to build a pipeline from a northern property to provide water to the golf course. Thereafter, an annual Amack Golf Tournament was held each year in gratitude of his donation until 2014, when health problems prevented him from attending.
Preceding him in death are his parents, a brother Ronald Amack, a daughter Susan Amack, and two brothers-in-law, Cyril Owens and Everett "Bud" Shinn.
Surviving are his first wife Shirley Amack of Lakeland, Florida and Carmen Amack of San Jose, Costa Rica. He is also survived by his two sisters, Virginia Shinn of Rancho Mirage, California, Vivienne Owens of Broomfield, Colorado along with two brothers, Alan Amack (Sharon) of Red Cloud, and Rex Amack (Angela) of Lincoln, Nebraska, his children, eight grandchildren, nine nieces and nephews, thirty great nieces and nephews and seven great-great nieces and nephews.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge A.F.&A.M., he was a 32nd Degree Mason and was also a member of the Shriners' International.
Memorials are suggested to the Webster County Community Hospital Foundation.
Funeral services were held Satuday, 10:30 a.m., May 9, 2015 at the First United Methodist Church in Red Cloud with the Rev. Warren Schoming officiating. Interment with Masonic Rites was the Red Cloud Cemetery.
Before Richard passed, the family commissioned a documentary of him as a way of something to remember him by and so that he could pass on his life story to future generations. They shared this with friends and family on Saturday evening at the Red Cloud Golf Course. They want to share it with everyone. Please click on the video tab above to view this video.
Williams Funeral Home

241 West 4th Avenue

Red Cloud, Nebraska 68970

402-746-2500