My Powers Family (Part One)

My known POWERS ancestry starts with my father, Richard N. Powers.


He was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. His parents, Ralph & Beatrice (Cameron) Powers, moved from downtown Flint to "the country" in Flint Township, where Richard (Dick) graduated from Dye High School. He attended Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, coming home during the summers.


He graduated in June of 1952 and eventually obtained a teaching position at Utley High School in Flint. He was a teacher who loved history and a coach who loved team sports and the team concept.

Here's an entry from the Michigan High School Coaches' Directory of 1957 - 58:

Flint Utley
Ath. Director - Martin Perono
Football Coach - Richard Powers
Assistant: Charles Splitberger
Basketball Coach - Richard Powers
Assistant: Charles Splitberger
Track Coach: Wm. Williams
Baseball Coach - Chas. Splitberger
Dir. of Phys. Ed. - Richard Powers
School Colors - Green & White
Nickname: Elks
Phone -CE 5-7125
1956 Football - Won 2, Lost 6
1956-57 Basketball - Won 12, Lost 5

Even with a family of 5* children in 1960, Dick Powers spent a year at Michigan State University earning a Master's Degree. He was then a teacher, coach and school counselor at the Swartz Creek High School. During his teaching career, he spent summers doing construction work and/or driver's training. I remember going on an excursion with the newbie drivers to see the Chesaning Showboat. During the school year he worked at a small grocery store afternoons and weekends. (*8 children by 1972)

His work at the IMA was chronicled in the "Richard N. Powers" link above.

Here's my webpage dedicated to my Dad. A few years ago I received this e-mail from someone who had seen my webpage and then generously expressed the following:

I ran across your page for "Dick Powers" while searching for info on the GFHA and was touched by the tribute. See, I remember him dearly, I played hockey for his youth hockey team (1972/73) in Flint. He inspired us boys to work and practice hard at our hockey skills, never did he yell or raise his voice, he always encouraged us. It was a thrill playing for him, now I am -- yrs old and getting back into hockey as a referee for the youth program out here in Albuquerque. Thanks to Dick Powers I have a love of hockey and want to give back to the kids just like he did.

Even though my Dad's been dead for almost 35 years, it still brings tears to my eyes.