Tieszen died in a kayaking accident on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at the age of 68, while visiting the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. Brent Moline, age 61 of Rapid City, also died in the accident. Moline and Tieszen were brothers-in-law.
Tieszen was serving his first term in the State House of Representatives, after having served in the State Senate from 2009 to 2016. He had served as Senate Majority Whip and as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and currently served as chairman of the House Retirement Laws Committee.
Prior to his legislative service, Tieszen spent 32 years in law enforcement, retiring as Rapid City chief of police.
A funeral for Tieszen will be held on Monday, Dec. 4, at 1 p.m. MST at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Fine Arts Theatre. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Rapid City Club for Boys, an organization Tieszen passionately supported for decades.
