Fredrick Ian Richards, 63, of Kenton, died at 2:37 p.m. Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at Lima Memorial Health System.
He was born March 5, 1953, to Lillian Grace Fynn Richards and the late Fredrick Grant Richards.
On Aug. 9, 1981, he married Kathleen Lutz and they later divorced.
He is survived by his significant other, Carolyn Barnes of Kenton; a son, Father Ephrem Richards of Eagle Harbor, Mich.; a stepson, Peter (Elizabeth) Filipek of Shreveport, La.; a stepdaughter, Jennifer (Phil) Heath of Newton, N.C.; three sisters, Gwenith (Tom McGraw) Richards of Rapid City, S.D., Edythe (Robert) Juve of Essexville, Mich., and Mary (Bill) Richards-Kallman of Hancock, Mich., and West Palm Beach, Fla.; two brothers, Robert Grant (Anita) Richards of Hemlock, Mich., and John Hugh (Renee Dilka) Richards of Zeeland, Mich.; and numerous nieces and nephews, Matthew (Karrie) Richards, Elizabeth (Jason) Damm, David Peterson, Charlotte Peterson, Rebeccah (Bradley) Papke, Fiona Kallman, Nathan Mackovjak and Julia Mackovjak.
Fredrick was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving in the Mediterranean during the Vietnam War. He was a United Methodist pastor in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
He received his associate degree from Gogebic Community College, his bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University and his master’s degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Fredrick was a member of the Mount Zion Methodist Church, where he was a choir member and lay leader. He loved to serve others and did so by being a former hospice chaplain in Hardin County. He also was a residential manager for a veteran’s housing unit in Toledo. He enjoyed making models trains, reading watching movies and loved animals.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hardin County Hospice and the Mount Zion Methodist Church.
Services are at a later date.
Arrangements were handled by Price-McElroy Funeral Home, Kenton, where condolences may be expressed at pricefh.net.