Richard "Shorty" Kouba

Richard "Shorty" Kouba, aged 89, of Savage, passed away on September 30, 2024.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Shorty's honor on Friday, October 4, 2024 from 4PM-6PM with some brief words and memory sharing starting at 5PM, all at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 833 Marschall Rd. Shakopee. Shorty will be laid to rest at St. John's Cemetery at a private family ceremony.

On May 5, 1935, Richard was born to parents Bill and Albina Kouba in Grafton, ND. Shorty was the youngest of 5 siblings and spent his early years in Conway, ND. The family had a farm and that was where he and his siblings spent most of their time. The farm is where Shorty first developed his skills in fixing things and re-engineering or ‘McGyvering’ items to make them more functional and secure. He held many jobs in his younger years, one of which was as a bartender, and this became an ideal place for him to play jokes on people and share his great sense of humor.

One day, a pretty girl caught Shorty’s attention. Her name was Mary Alice. He played his cards correctly and on June 20, 1958, the pair were married. After their marriage, the couple bravely made their move to the big city where they initially settled into southern Minneapolis. Shorty got a job at Snyder Drug Store working as a forklift operator in their warehouse. Shorty and Mary Alice bought a house in Minneapolis where they expanded their family with the birth of their 3 children. Shorty was a great dad who could fix just about anything the kids or Mary Alice broke. He also had a way of making his kids laugh with a silly dance or a small prank.

When Shorty wasn’t working, he spent the summer weekends with family and friends at their cabin near Brainerd. The kids were raised in their Bloomington home where Shorty was known to spend hours tinkering in his workshop and kept his yard impeccably mowed. He also worked with Mary Alice in their large vegetable garden that needed constant attention and care. When the weather switched over to winter, he would take the family on snowmobile trips. Their last move was to Savage where they lived out their retirement years.

Strong, loyal, and fun-loving, Shorty will be missed greatly by his children, Craig (Jax) Kouba, Cindy (Chuck) Hadley, Cheryl (Jeff) Meyer; grandchildren, Haley Kouba, Jen (Jason) Bartholomay, Jake (Maranda) Hadley, Jordan (Dani) Hadley, Kyle Meyer, Leah (Jake Bangasser) Meyer; great-grandchildren, Madelynn, Ethan, Brooks; sister-in-law, Corrine Kouba; and many other loving relatives and friends. Shorty is preceded in death by his loving wife, Mary Alice Kouba; parents Bill and Albina; siblings, Cecil (Margaret), Ernie, Leonard (Violet), and Eloise (Emil) Langowski.