Richard Arthur "Dick" McFarland
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With heavy hearts, we would like to share that we recently had to say goodbye to an incredible man. Richard Arthur McFarland was a much-loved husband, father, grandfather called "Mac", brother, and friend.
Dick left this earth on May 21, 2022, six minutes into his and Karen's 39th wedding anniversary. We are grateful that he left pain and sickness behind to be perfectly restored to his Savior... What a beautiful anniversary gift for Karen to receive. He was surrounded by those he loved in his final moments. We are drawing comfort in the belief that God sent his angels to surround Dick in his time of need and lead him to a place that He has prepared for him. (Exodus 23:20)
Our dad was born the youngest of three on August 18th, 1947, in Midland Texas. He had a very close relationship with his mom, Naomi, who proudly saved every local newspaper clipping that mentioned Dick's achievements. However, he was most proud of being awarded "Best Legs" at Lee High School. Dick had a strong drive that led him to Baylor University on a football scholarship, and then onto the University of Texas Dental School and an orthodontic residency.
He poured everything into making his orthodontic practices in Flower Mound and The Colony special. McFarland Orthodontics was more than just a place to get braces... The staff felt like family, and for 43 years, "Doc" (as Dick was affectionately called at work) made personal connections with everyone who came through the door. One of the reasons Doc's patients loved him so much was his generosity. If he heard that a family was struggling or that a crisis arose, he went to great lengths to help them. He loved sponsoring local teams, scholarships, and the LISD literacy program.
As important as his calling as an orthodontist was to him, Dick's faith always came first. He read a storybook Bible to his girls, Lindsay and Lauren, every night, and over time his faith became very real and personal to him. Our family spent many years at Dallas Bible Church, where Dick and Karen first discovered their love of doing mission work as a couple. Serving together brought them so much joy, especially when they were able to lead medical/dental mission trips overseas or feed the homeless in Dallas. They eventually found their way to The Village Church, where they led a home group that became tight knit friends for over 20 years. Dick was also honored to be an elder at The Village.
Dick was the ultimate family man. He adored his wife... they did everything together. He loved being a "girl dad" to his two daughters. He enthusiastically joined in on shopping trips, manicures, trying out the latest and greatest restaurants, and seeing every chick-flick in the theater... and was relentlessly teased by Karen and his girls for crying first at the sappy parts. He was amazing at just going with the flow. He and Karen cultivated an intentional, close-knit family dynamic for their girls. They spent a lot of time together as a family sharing meals, shooting hoops in the driveway, attending school events, sports, and traveling. Dick helped plan some amazing adventures, and his girls often would roll their eyes when he tried to educate them on the history and culture of wherever they happened to be. As the girls grew up and married, Dick welcomed his son-in-laws Scott and Nate, with open arms... the sons he never had! He was thrilled to finally have two new golfing buddies. Next came the role of a lifetime, when Dick became a grandfather to Rise, Haven, Macy, Miles, and his heavenly grandbabies.
Anyone close to Dick knows he was full of energy, youthfulness, and was always on the go. His innocent spirit and pure heart were refreshing to be around. He was crazy about dogs, especially his beloved Boo, who was by his side until the very end. When you really made him laugh, it would take on this high-pitched quality that made everyone around him die laughing too. His wife and close friends would call his various quirks "Dickisms" and new ones were being added to the list weekly. For example: when he would be wheeled out of a shoulder or knee procedure, the first thing that came out of his mouth was always "How does my hair look?" He had this funny way of adjusting his pants three times sharply to the right and left, when he stood up. When a good song came on the radio, his fingers danced in a trademark Dick way. He was always putting his foot in his mouth or spilling secrets... He just couldn't help it!
We love this man more than life itself. He made our family what it is, and we are forever grateful. We will never meet a more easy-going, humble, generous, godly man of integrity, and we thank the Lord for his life.
The Memorial Service will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at Faith Chapel, Prestonwood Baptist Church, 6801 W. Park Blvd, Plano, TX.
Memorial donations may be made to two ministries close to Dick's heart:
ServingHIM Healthcare International Ministries, 2001 W. Plano Pkwy., Suite 1213, Plano, TX 75075 or
Caring Compassionate Hearts & Helping Hands (Pat Scott's homeless ministry), P. O. Box 2285, Cedar Hill, TX 75106-2285.