Richard J. Pfau

Richard Pfau loved his life. Happily married to his true love, the proud father of four children and the doting grandfather of many grandchildren, he lived each day as though it was the best day of his life. A gentle man with a big heart, Richard blessed the lives of all those around him.

1928 was a year of firsts. In the entertainment world, the movie industry celebrated the first Academy Awards and moviegoers were enchanted with the first Mickey Mouse cartoon. To benefit mankind, penicillin had just been discovered and an iron lung respirator was used for the first time in a children’s hospital. It was also a year of firsts for Theodore and Florence (Heistand) Pfau of Kalamazoo, Michigan. On October 4, 1928, the couple delighted in welcoming the birth of their first child, who was born at home, a son they named Richard. He was later joined by his three younger siblings, Margaret, Beverly and John, rounding the Pfau family out with four children.

His father provided for the family working at Mead Paper Co. while his mother was a busy homemaker. Richard was just a young boy when his family moved to the sprawling countryside of Mattawan. Surrounded by nature, it was here that Richard fostered his love of the great outdoors, especially when it came to hunting and fishing, and running around with his pets (which included crows). His Uncle Jasper owned some property in Bitely, some of which Richard bought from him in later years and used it to pursue some of his favorite pastimes.

About 1946, Richard secured a good job at Kalamazoo Stamping and Die Co. as Supervisor of the Shipping Department. He worked hard and was a loyal employee here for 40 years before retiring in 1986. It was during this time that Richard married his first wife, Alice Giddings, in the early 1950s, and they had four wonderful children together: Michelle, Vicki, Richard Jr. and David. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce in 1982.

But Richard would find love again when he met Roberta Weaver in 1982. Roberta's neighbor was a co-worker with Richard. One day Richard's friend invited him over and asked Roberta to come over to meet his friend. As fate would have it, the two fell in love and were happily married on May 23, 1983, in Washington, D.C. Five years later, the couple found a home they loved with some acreage in Gobles, which provided Richard with plenty of outdoor space for him to roam around. The first thing he did after being settled was dig a pond on his property and fill it with fish. Richard also tried his hand at raising geese from hatchlings, and named them Jeepers, Peepers and Creepers. He had such a gentle hand with them that they would come to him when he called. They even helped him pull weeds out of the flower beds. Although a big hunter, Richard never hunted on his property, instead he bought tons of corn to feed the deer. Also numbered to his menagerie was his Siamese cats, Gidget and Koodie, his dog, Taffy, and his Cockatiel, Jack, who ate ice cream with him out of a bowl.

Richard was happiest when he could be outdoors, pursuing some of his favorite pastimes. At some time, he had built a cabin on his property in Bitely, and he loved to take his father there for some hunting and fishing together. Over the years, Richard did a lot of hunting, including for upland game, geese, quail, and deer; he used both a bow and gun to hunt deer. In 1962, while hunting in Almena, Richard bagged himself a 220 lb., 10-point field dressed deer, a nice prize for his wall. Around home, Richard was a real handyman and could fix just about anything. He and Roberta liked to travel whenever possible and for the last 3 years they have been vacationing in Naples, Florida, where they loved to stroll the beaches and collect seashells, which they later used to decorate a craft piece.

When he wasn’t outside doing something, Richard could usually be found watching some TV with his big satellite dish. He seldom missed the evening news on Fox or a NASCAR race. He was also a big movie watcher and recorded many of the shows so that Roberta could share the tapes with the residents at Alamo Nursing Home, where she volunteered. Of course, when watching TV, Richard also liked to have a sweet snack, like some of his favorite, chocolate, nuts or ice cream.

Richard’s good spirit and smiling face served as testimony to the fact that he enjoyed every moment of his life. From his friendly “How Do!” and pleasant conversation to being a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend, Richard brought smiles and happiness to all those around him. He may have been a quiet, unassuming man, but his actions spoke volumes for his character. He will be dearly missed.

Richard J. Pfau of Gobles, MI, died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 10, 2008, at his residence. Cremation has taken place. Learn more about Richard, view his Life Story Film and visit with his family on Saturday, April 12, from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home – Betzler, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (375-2900), where a service to honor his life will be held on Sunday, April 13, at 4:00 p.m.

Richard was preceded in death by his daughter, Michelle Cook, in 2004. Members of his family include his wife, Roberta Pfau; three children: Vicki (Terry) Weber of Kingsley, MI, Richard (Becky) Pfau Jr. of Plainwell, and David Pfau of MT; four step-children: Peggy (John) Johnson of Vicksburg, Ronald Arbuckle of Kalamazoo, Robert Arbuckle of AZ, and Tammy (Arthur) Espinosa of Paw Paw; five grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren; two sisters: Margaret Zagar of Mattawan, Beverly Herwick of FL; one brother, John Pfau of Kingsley, MI; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Please visit Richard’s memory page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a memory or photo with his family or sign his online guest book before coming to the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Brain Tumor Association.