Arthur "Art" Rezac | 1926 - 2025
Obituaries-Pierre / Posted May 27, 2025 | 4:43 PM / 815 views
PIERRE, SD – Arthur (Art) Anton Rezac,98, was called home on May 19, 2025. A visitation will be held from 6:00-7:00pm on Friday, May 30th with a 7:00pm Rosary and Prayer Service at Isburg Funeral Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial to be held at 11:00am on Saturday, May 31st at Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Pierre. Burial will full military honors will be held on Monday, June 2nd at 10:00am(mst) at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, SD.
Art was born on July 28, 1926 in Dante, South Dakota to Anton and Lillian (Ludmila) Novotny Rezac. He had five sisters and six brothers.
He went to grade school in a one room schoolhouse and went to high school in Wagner South Dakota. After graduation he was drafted into the Navy in 1944 during WWII and assigned to an aircraft carrier. In July, 1946 he was honorably discharged and went to college at South Dakota State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1950.
He then worked for the South Dakota Health department. While working for the state of South Dakota he met Mary Rita Werckman. They married on October 16, 1954 and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in October, 2024.
In 1951 he became an Equitable Life Insurance agent and had a very successful career of 63 years. In 1980 he was inducted into Equitable’s Hall of Fame. He volunteered his time at the South Dakota State Historical Department until his death. Golf was his passion and he enjoyed the game until his age of 95. Having had two holes in one in his career with the last at the age of 93. He was an active member of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church all his years of living in Pierre.
He and Mary had four children: Mark (Kileen) of Scottsdale, Arizona, Mary Jo Rezac of Rapid City, South Dakota, Barbara (Ron) Hall of Willow, Alaska and Peter (Molly) of Reno, Nevada. They have been blessed with nine grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life Mary Rita, his parents, his eleven brothers and sisters and a great granddaughter Maelea Donahue.
