Richard H. Laska
Richard Harry Laska, 86 of Wabasha, passed away Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Emplify – Gundersen St. Elizabeth Nursing Home, Wabasha.
Richard "Dick" was born September 24, 1939, in Winona, MN to Helen (Eaton) and Harry Laska. He graduated from West High School, Minneapolis, MN and attended Brown Institute Electronics Course, Minneapolis, MN, and received completion grade of “A”. Richard served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. While on guard duty, he had a brief interaction with Elvis Presley, where Elvis patted him on the back and exchanged pleasantries.
Northwest Airlines, MN was his main employment in Minneapolis. While working there, he received a release and patented his U.S. Airline Safety creation for the Boeing Aircraft. He designed an electronic system of metal strips attached to the wings to monitor stress on the metal so that areas with safety issues were observed before failure.
Richard lived with family in the Republic of South Africa, Transvaal, working at South African Airways on electronic repairs with Boeing airplanes. He worked at Jan Smuts Johannesburg Airport from Feb 1972 to June 1976.
Upon returning to USA, he bought into a partnership in an autobody business in New Holstein, WI. He learned autobody repair and auto painting. When he left the business, he went out on his own in auto painting. Richard also worked for Stoelting in Kiel, WI in maintenance for a few years.
In the 1990's, he returned to Wabasha, MN to eventually live in the masonry-style house his father built next to the Mississippi River. While in Wabasha, he worked and eventually retired at Valley Craft in Lake City. They said, "he could fix anything".
Richard beat stage 4 cancer twelve years ago when he was told he would only have six weeks to live. He was so thankful for God's grace in his life and believed God had a plan for him. One of his favorite movies was the Passion of the Christ, and he loved traveling to the Holy Land.
He is survived by his four sons: Scott C. Laska and wife Kyounghee "Hannah" Choi, three children: Nadezhda “Nadya”, Lubov “Luba” and Pavel "Pavlik"; Robert W. Laska; Christopher A. Laska two daughters Miranda Albrecht and Angel (Bryan) Fleming with two great grandchildren: Eden and Matthew; and Richard “Richie” A. Laska; siblings: James (Jean) Laska; Thomas Laska; Barbara Laska; Patricia Laska; and David (Joan) Laska; 16 nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters: Catherine Nesbit, Gloria “Dolly” Laska and Grace Frederickson; sister-in-law Barbara Laska; brothers-in-law: Merlin "Mert" Nesbit and Richard “Dick” Frederickson
Funeral Mass will be 9:30 a.m. Saturday, August 22, 2026 at St. Felix Catholic Church, Wabasha with Rev. Tom Loomis officiating. The committal prayers will be10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 22, 2026, at St. Felix Cemetery, Wabasha, MN with military honors.
Services entrusted to Abbott Funeral Home & Wabasha, MN. Words of sympathy or remembrance may be left at www.abbottfh.com
