Richard Larry Papakee, 89, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Tama, passed away Saturday, August 13, 2016 at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha. A Traditional Wake will be held Sunday evening, August 14, 2016 at the Papakee residence, 151 Meskwaki Road, on the Meskwaki Settlement in rural Tama. Traditional Graveside Services will be held Monday, August 15, 2016 at 2:00 PM at McIntosh Cemetery on the Meskwaki Settlement in rural Tama with Larry Craig Lasley as speaker.


Richard was born on March 29, 1927, on the Meskwaki Settlement in rural Tama, the son of John and Grace (Morgan) Papakee. He was a graduate of Tama High School. He was very athletic and played guard on the Tama High School Football team that was nicknamed "10 Little Indians." The team was very successful with several Native Americans on the team. Richard also played basketball under Coach Hoskins. He also played football and basketball at Haskell Indian Jr. College in Lawrence, KS. Richard served in the United States Navy in the Pacific against the Japanese. He rarely mentioned his war experiences aboard the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Cowpens CVL 25 which carried warplanes and helicopters. He rose in ranks to the level of E-6 in the gunnery division. Richard also started boxing when he was in the Navy. He left the Navy with an honorable discharge. Richard was an excellent boxer. He won the All Iowa Golden Gloves Championship in the welterweight division in 1956 and 1957. Richard also played softball for the Quaker Oats team from Cedar Rapids and the league winning team in Tama, the Harrison's Indians. He was united in marriage to Margaret Evelyn Davenport in 1946. He was trained in the printing trade at Haskell Indian Jr. College and worked in that industry.
Survivors include three daughters, Rena Stanislaw of Cedar Rapids, Resa Blackcloud of Tama, and Rosalyn Webster of Omaha, NE; thirteen grandchildren, fifty great-grandchildren; a great-great granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife; sons, Randolph and Rudy Papakee; sisters, Cecila Papakee, Rena Papakee, and Patricia Brown; and brothers, Clyde, Bernard, and Reginald Papakee.