A brief portrait
Richard Harold David Bromstad exists in the public record primarily as a role: father. That simple label, however, is a hinge on which an extended family story turns. He is the father of David Reed Bromstad, the television designer whose name appears in living rooms and on screens across North America. Beyond that central relationship, Richard’s presence is that of a supportive, private figure who appears in family photographs, in holiday tributes, and in the occasional public update when family health matters surface. He is, by every available account, a private man whose public visibility is woven through the lives of his children.
Basic information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Harold David Bromstad |
| Public role | Father of television designer David Reed Bromstad |
| Birthdate | Not publicly available |
| Ancestry | Norwegian (as reported in family summaries) |
| Spouse | Diane Marlys Bromstad (née Krueger) |
| Children | Four: Dean Richard Bromstad; Dynelle Renee Bromstad; Dyonne Rachael Bromstad; David Reed Bromstad (b. August 17, 1973) |
| Known public mentions | Family photos, Father’s Day tributes, social-media posts by his son |
| Public career information | Not publicly documented |
| Notable public events | Family tributes; reported hospitalizations and serious health episodes referenced in family social posts |
The family circle — a table of relatives
| Name | Relationship | Short note |
|---|---|---|
| Diane Marlys Bromstad (Krueger) | Spouse | Described in family accounts as of Swedish/German heritage; frequent presence in family photos. |
| Dean Richard Bromstad | Son | Older brother of David; largely private. |
| Dynelle Renee Bromstad | Daughter | Older sister of David; appears in family references. |
| Dyonne Rachael Bromstad | Daughter | Older sister of David; appears in family references. |
| David Reed Bromstad (b. 17 Aug 1973) | Son | Television designer and public figure; winner of HGTV Design Star (season 1) and long-time HGTV host. His career is the principal public link to Richard. |
The shape of a private life seen through public frames
Public records and profiles present Richard almost exclusively through the mirror of his son’s life. That mirror shows a man who, though not seeking the spotlight, takes part in the rituals of family that any reader will find familiar: holiday photographs, birthday tributes, and the small public notes that occasionally surface on social platforms. In those frames his role is steady, the quiet background against which a more camera-friendly life unfolds.
There is no public dossier of employment histories, CV entries, or career milestones for Richard. No corporate byline, no credited interviews. The silence on these topics is notable; it signals either a deliberate low profile or simply an absence of traditional public-facing roles. Either way, the evidence points to a family life that has been preferred over public biography.
Dates and numbers that anchor the narrative
- 1973: David Reed Bromstad is born on August 17, 1973; definitive public biographies list Richard as his father.
- 4: The Bromstad children number four in total; David is the youngest.
- 2006: A pivotal year for the family’s public visibility when David wins a televised design competition, accelerating his public career and, by association, the visibility of family references.
- 2010s–2020s: A period when social posts, tributes, and occasional health updates about family members — including Richard — appear publicly.
Health and public concern
On several occasions, public social posts by David have referenced serious health episodes affecting his father, noting hospitalizations and significant medical complications described in family updates. Those posts, shared by a son who is himself a public figure, are the primary source of public awareness about any medical crises involving Richard. The accounts that circulate in entertainment summaries are condensations of those social disclosures — short-form echoes rather than primary interviews with Richard himself.
Personality in glimpses
If a personality can be extrapolated from photographs, family captions, and the way a son writes about his parents, Richard comes across as steady and familial. He is the kind of figure who occupies the margins of celebrity: not for lack of presence, but by choice. In photographs he appears alongside Diane; in posts he is the subject of gratitude and concern. There are hints of warmth and of commitment to family that run like quiet rivers beneath the louder currents of public life.
The extended timeline (select highlights with dates & context)
| Year / Range | Item |
|---|---|
| pre-1973 | Family origins: strands of Norwegian ancestry appear in family descriptions; Diane’s background reported as Swedish/German. Exact dates and early life details for Richard are not publicly recorded. |
| 1973-08-17 | Birth of David Reed Bromstad in Cokato, Minnesota — publicly documented; Richard listed as father. |
| 2006 | David wins a major televised design competition, increasing public references to his family. |
| 2010s | Increasing number of social tributes and family photos circulated by David; Richard appears in several images. |
| 2010s–2020s | Public social posts from David reference serious health issues affecting his father, including hospitalization and complications that were summarized by entertainment outlets. |
What public silence says
A person’s public biography is not only the facts that appear; it is also the absence of certain facts. For Richard, the lack of a publicly documented career, the missing birthdate, and the limited personal narrative beyond family references together form an index of privacy. That silence invites readers to treat what is available — family names, photographs, and social posts — as the lens through which Richard’s public presence must be understood. He is, in effect, known by roles more than by resume: husband, father, member of a close-knit group whose most public member is his son.
Why this matters
Families of public figures often find themselves framed by the contours of another person’s fame. The Bromstad family is a clear example. Numbers and dates anchor the known facts: four children, a son born in 1973 who later becomes a television personality, a wife named Diane, and the occasional public health scare that draws sympathetic attention. Yet the larger story is one of ordinary life intersecting with public visibility. It is a reminder that behind headlines and broadcast credits there can be private histories and relationships that remain intentionally, respectfully out of full view.
