- Date Of Birth: April 18, 1928
- Date Of Death: June 30, 2016
- State: Indiana
Richard M. Gravender Sr., 88, of Elkhart, passed away Thursday morning, June 30, at Elkhart General Hospital.
He was born April 18, 1928, in Elkhart, to the late Max A. and Ruth (Shaw) Gravender.
Richard married Virginia Neel Briggs on April 7, 1950, in Elkhart.
Surviving are his wife of 66 years, Virginia; two sons, Richard (Deborah) Gravender Jr. of Elkhart and Dave (Nancy) Gravender of Oakland Calif.; two daughters, Jane (Carl) Slabaugh of Elkhart and Pamela (Lynn) Matassarin of Irvine, Calif.; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and his nephew, Tom (Linda) McManus of Elkhart.
He was preceded in death by a sister Ruth McManus.
Richard had formerly worked for C.G. Conn, Ace Cab Co. as a dispatcher for many years and Yoder Oil Co. He also owned and operated an air freight and delivery company, then retired. He began working at Omega Industries where he retired again at the age of 80. Richard loved music. He played saxophone in area bands. He was an avid bowler and fisherman; he also enjoyed camping and animals. He was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church and served in the U.S. Army.
