Richard Offerman

A simple man who didn't need a lot of fancy things to enjoy life, Richard Offerman found pleasure in music, gardening, and loving his family. Naturally curious, Rich loved to learn and grow, welcoming opportunities to explore life's questions. Whether encouraging and supporting others, playing a favorite game, listening to his favorite tunes, reading, caring for his canine companions, or sharing time with loved ones, Rich embraced each moment as a gift. A treasured father, brother, uncle, and friend, Rich will long be remembered by those he loved.

1951 proved to be a year of increased comforts and exciting new possibilities. While unemployment dropped to 3.3% the nation additionally celebrated the first direct-dial trans-coastal phone call, easier travel in more comfortable cars and on newly paved interstates, and the premieres of "I Love Lucy," "The Day The Earth Stood Still," and "An American in Paris." Nowhere was the sense of hope for the future more celebrated than in the hearts of Raymond and Claudia Offerman as they welcomed their son Richard to their family on December 9th in Detroit, Michigan.

The youngest of three, Rich, grew up in Detroit in the good company of his older siblings, David and Barbara. His mother was a homemaker, and his father worked as a personnel manager for BorgWarner. A curious kid, Rich had a lot of energy and explored various situations to discover new things, such as what would happen if he fell down the stairs or turned his bicycle handlebars around while riding. His curiosity often resulted in some mishap, but he always learned the answer to his questions. A favorite activity of his when he was younger was riding his rocking horse for hours on end. This would lead to broken springs on his favorite toy and he would have to wait until his parents fixed it. Rich would enjoy rocking his entire life in his favorite green rocking chair.

As a student at Denby High School, Rich played clarinet in the band. After graduating from high school in 1969, he followed his siblings to Western Michigan University, where he majored in math secondary education and minored in music. Rich marched in the university's band and became a lifelong WMU football and hockey fan.

Upon graduating with his bachelor's degree, Rich continued his education with a Masters in School Counseling. After finishing his post secondary degree, he worked as a substitute teacher before landing a teaching job at Albion High School. He began his career teaching math and later added in computer science. He also guided the school's marching band and coached cross country for a time.

In 1998, Rich and his wife, Carole, became parents when they adopted their son Max born in 1997. Two years later, they adopted their daughter Alina at age 1, and in 2002, their family was complete when they welcomed their 1 year-old son Alexander. Rich was a loving and supportive father who had his own way of doing things. He enjoyed telling dad jokes and cheering on his kids’ sporting events and all of their endeavors. The family played a lot of board games, and Rich never gave the kids free passes. Whether playing Chess, Trivia Pursuit, Risk, Monopoly, or another favorite game, they always earned their victories and learned to love to hear their dad's favorite expressions, including "Jinkies" and "Score keeper always wins!"

A man who was content with life's simple pleasures, Rich preferred simple meals and lots of sweets, never passing up on a peanut M&M. He enjoyed Star Trek, action movies, and classical music, but the Beach Boys was his favorite band. Walking into his home you would often hear the record player on with a fun tune or a hockey game being played over the stereo. An avid reader, he preferred history, science fiction, and mysteries. An active supporter of the Kalamazoo Public Library's Friends of the Library, Rich served as the organization's treasurer for a time.

A lifelong learner and detail-oriented person, Rich welcomed opportunities to explore his curiosity, learn, and apply his knowledge. He took great pride in his flower garden and loved his rescue dogs. He loved all dogs but his two favorite breeds were golden retrievers and black labs. His most recent rescues are Daisy and Lucy. And while he had many collections, including coins, books, Christmas villages, clown figurines, candles, and old computers, he was passionate about saving and using his money wisely.

As we celebrate Rich's life, may we find comfort in our many treasured memories and in the honor of carrying his legacy forward. In each moment we choose to be humble and kind, relish time with loved ones, tend our gardens, curl up with a favorite canine or book, be mindful with our money, pursue our curiosities, and generously share our time and talent in service of others, and in doing so we keep Rich's memory alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

Rich Offerman died unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. Members of his family include his 3 children: Max, Alina, and Alex; his brother David, his sister Barbara, and her husband Brad Addis; and 2 nephews: Andy and Brett Addis. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Life Story Services will be held at 4 pm on Thursday, September 18th, 2025, at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900. A reception where food, drinks, and stories will be shared will be held immediately following the service in the Life Story Center. Celebrate Rich's life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com.