Richard Rupert Ellensohn

Richard Rupert Ellensohn, aged 83, passed away on Aug. 10, 2025, surrounded by his family. Born on Aug. 9, 1942, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Richard lived a life devoted to his family, service and community.

He is survived by his devoted wife and caregiver of 57 years, Nancy, his children, Carol, Mary Beth (John) Essman, and Rick (Kerry) and his five beloved grandchildren, Abby, Katy, Drew, Anna and Will who he loved to spend time with cheering them on at sporting events and educational pursuits. He is also survived by his sisters Jeanette Gardner of Nokomis, FL and Joyce Lawson of Philadelphia, PA along with many nieces and nephews. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Mary (Hobbs) Ellensohn.

Richard, the son of an Austrian immigrant, grew up on the family farm often caring for cattle, and bailing hay. Like his late father, Richard was a humble, handy man at heart and enjoyed taking the time to fix and improve things around him. He attended Roger Bacon High School and the Ohio College of Applied Science where he earned an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering. Richard was a veteran of the U.S. Air National Guard/Air Force and served his country with honor. He enjoyed flying airplanes and had a private pilot license. Richard worked for AT&T for more than 30 years serving as a supervisor and trainer of employees all over the country and U.S. territories. His travels often created the opportunity for he and his wife to travel to many places worldwide. He especially enjoyed trips to Hawaii. 

Over the years Richard was an active member of the Catholic Church serving on Parish Council, teaching religious education and participating in the Knights of Columbus as a Fourth Degree Knight. For forty years, he was a member of the Catholic Kolping Society of Cincinnati, an organization started by Germans and rooted in the Catholic faith, supporting trades, educational and athletic activities. He was elected president of Kolping two times. He was also president of the sports club and a Kolping board member. He devoted many hours volunteering at Kolping events and served as the Kolping Schutzenfest King in 2002. He coached soccer for all his children and even led his son’s Kolping soccer team on a trip to play in Germany. Richard’s legacy of family, hard work and service will continue to inspire all who knew him.

We will celebrate Richard’s life with a visitation at the Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Home (5527 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati) on Wed, Aug. 13th from 5-7 pm and on Thurs, Aug. 14th at 10:00 a.m. there will be a Mass of Christian Burial at Corpus Christi Catholic Church (2014 Springdale Rd., Cincinnati) followed by lunch at the Kolping Haus and a committal ceremony at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery afterwards.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Catholic Kolping Society of Cincinnati - Fr. David Hiller Fund or the Hospice of Cincinnati in Richard’s memory.