Richard Harry German

On the evening of Friday, May 20th, Richard Harry German passed away peacefully at his home in Carmel, Indiana. He was surrounded by family and friends after a struggle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Rick was 77 years old.

Richard German was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 3, 1939. He was Paul and Carmelita German’s second child, his sister, Joan, being the oldest. Richard and his family moved to Kansas City, Kansas in 1957 where Rick graduated from Southwest High School. Rick then went to Kansas State University earning a degree in Business Administration in 1961. While at college, he met his loving first wife, Judith Carol Prewitt. After college, Rick and Judy got married and had three children: Susan, Richard, and Janet who then gave them seven grandchildren. In 1962, Rick began his service in the United States Army as a 1st Lieutenant. Following an honorable discharge in 1968, Rick began an extremely successful 28 year career as a manufacturing specialist at HON Industries. While there, he was selected to attend the Harvard Business Degree Program and continued to advance to the level of VP of Manufacturing within the company. After retiring from HON in 1996, Rick went on to apply his knowledge and experience to DIA Furniture in Jasper, Indiana. After the loss of his wife of 42 years in 2003 and retiring from DIA in 2005, Rick enjoyed volunteering with SCORE which provides free, customized small business advice to help businesses succeed.
Rick was blessed to have a second chance at love when he married Bunny Colip in 2011. With that union, Rick gained three more children and their families – Deborah Hoover, Jeff and Lisa Vance, and Cindy and Andy Bishop, as well as eight grandchildren – Stephanie and Keith Hoover, Alex, Katie, Grace, and Nick Vance, and Rylea and Ryan Bishop.
Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Carmelita German, his brother-in-law, Tony Johnson, as well as his first wife Judith German.
Rick is survived by his dedicated wife Bunny Colip, his beloved sister, Joan Johnson, his children and their spouses – Susan and Greg Smaus, Rick and Ellen German, and Janet and Christopher Schimek. Additionally, he is survived by his loving grandchildren Paul, Madeline, and Abigail German, Kathryn and Nicholas Smaus, and Taylor and Ryan Schimek.
Services for Richard German will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 27th, at East 91st Street Christian Church. His ashes will be laid to rest at the Flanner and Buchanan- Hamilton Memorial Park located at 4180 Westfield Road in Noblesville, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Indianapolis Lung Association or the COPD Foundation.
Special thanks to the doctors and nurses at Community Health Network. They have taken such amazing care of Rick over the last several years. Additionally, the gentle and compassionate care given by Community Home Health Hospice Services and Flanner and Buchanan’s Funeral Center is appreciated greatly by the family.
Condolences may be given and memories shared at www.flannerbuchanan.com