The first thing a typical Faribault native might think when they hear the name Dick Shiels is the impact he had on Faribault wrestling. He had a big one. But he was a lot more than that.
Shiels died Sunday, May 21 at the age of 86.
Dick coached wrestling at Faribault High School for 24 years and worked as a school principal. After making an initial move to Faribault in what was thought of at the time to be something of a temporary or stepping stone, it instead turned into a situation where he could plant roots.
“I think what he would want is to let the community know that he felt honored to be a part of it,” said Dick’s son, Tim Shiels. “He felt that he just got great support from the wrestlers and from their parents and that he also had that kind of support from the community not only as a coach but as a principal. When they first moved to town, I think the initial thought was, ‘This is a good place for a couple years and we’ll see what happens,’ but they fell in love with Faribault and the people. The relationships and the friendships that they had. I think that’s what was the most dear to both my parents’ hearts.” Continue reading at www.southernminn.com