Richard "Dick" Raus

Richard “Dick” Raus, 82, of Indianapolis, passed away on March 5, 2020, peacefully in his sleep.
Dick was born on September 21, 1937, to John Bell Raus and Alma Lee (Graham) in Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from Leesville High in 1955, then went on to study at Louisiana Tech before withdrawing to join the Navy. After a career that spanned everything from writing about sports for the base newspaper on Whidbey Island; specializing in training devices, overseeing jet fighter simulator training, and working with porpoises at Point Mugu; training sailors to read radar and teaching pilots how to target at the bombing range at Ocala National Forest; teaching in Millington; and recruiting new sailors in Indianapolis, he retired from the Navy in 1978—so that he wouldn’t have to pull his oldest daughter out of her senior year of high school. After leaving the Navy, he began working for Howard W. Sams (a technical publishing company), where he got to “draw [his] pictures all day.”
While in the Navy, he met Cora Lee (Hamilton), and they wed in 1959, going on to have three children, Lee Arnold, Jennifer Chappell, and Autumn Raus Hamilton. His children remember him as a happy, funny, loving father who always was, and always will be, their biggest fan.
After a few false starts on retiring from Sams—the man loved to work—he finally retired about 10 years ago. Dick spent his time with his family, bowling, playing cards, exercising, telling stories, and going to the market; he never met a stranger, only ever a new friend.
Dick was predeceased by his parents, John Bell and Alma Lee; his brothers, Bobby, Fred, and JB; and his sister, Johnnie. He is survived by his wife, Cora; his sister, Lois; his brother, Buck and his wife Linda; his daughters, Lee, Jennifer and her husband William, and Autumn; his grandchildren, Katrina, Jonathan, Corinne, Jordan, and Scott; and his great-grandchildren, Keira, Elizabeth, and Atlas.
A Celebration of Life for Dick will be held on Wednesday, March 11, from 4 – 7 pm at Flanner Buchanan – Speedway, 2950 N High School Rd, Speedway, IN 46224. Anyone who knew him and will miss him is welcome to attend.