Rev. Richard W. "Dick" Bender

LEWISBURG - The Rev. Richard W. "Dick" Bender, 71, of RiverWoods, passed away Monday, April 16, 2007, at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.
He was born in Muncy on Oct. 23, 1935, a son of the late Rev. LaRue G. and Helen (Metzger) Bender. He and his wife of 52 years, the former Janet L. Hunter, were married Jan. 15, 1955.
A 1953 graduate of McConnellsburg High School, Dick attended Lycoming College from 1953 until 1955 and again from 1963 until 1965, when he earned a bachelor of arts degree. He received a master of divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary in 1969 and did postgraduate work at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary.
Dick was a highly dedicated minister of the United Methodist Church and the Central Pennsylvania Conference. He served the Oriole Charge, churches in Trenton and Millville, N.J., the McVeytown Charge, and at Broad Avenue-Schum Memorial in Altoona. On July 1, 1979, he became chaplain at the Lewisburg United Methodist Homes, now RiverWoods, in Lewisburg. Dick chaired and assisted in organizing the Pennsylvania Interfaith Disaster Response Group, was conference chairman of the Disaster Response and Refugee Resettlement Committee, served on the board of managers at Wesley Forest United Methodist Church Camp and on the executive committee of Central Pennsylvania World Hunger, and was a Student Aid Committee member of the Central Pennsylvania Conference. He led 30-plus weekend retreats for groups of all ages.
Prior to his work as a United Methodist minister, Dick operated and managed a rug and furniture cleaning business and five dry cleaning routes and worked 4 ½ years on an offshore oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.
In addition to his ministry, Dick was an extremely active member of Kiwanis International. He joined the Lewisburg club in 1979. The next year, he served as vice president and the following year as president. He then served on the board from 1980 to 1987 and was elected lieutenant governor of Division 12-A in 1987. He was district chairman of the Human and Spiritual Aims Committee from 1988 to 1989 and achieved Distinguished Kiwanian status in 1986-87. He became a life member, attended four district conventions and three international conventions and served as coordinator of leadership training for incoming presidents for two years. Dick served a term as district governor from 1995-96.
An active member of the various communities in which he lived, Dick helped form the McVeytown Ambulance Association and served as an emergency medical technician and assistant fire chief. He was awarded the Pennsylvania State Fireman's Valor Award in 1974. Dick was chairman of community care services for 16 organizations and president of the Altoona City Union for 28 churches. He served on the board of trustees at the Children's United Methodist Home in Mechanicsburg for 12 years. Dick volunteered as a driver for the American Cancer Society. He was an officer in the Seven Mountains Medical Services Council, Mifflin County Medical Services Council and Mifflin County Youth Services Bureau. Dick led or participated in more than 26 work camps in Jamaica, Belize, Uruguay, Liberia, Sierre Leone, Africa and the United States. In 1990, he received the National Chaplain of the Year Award.
Surviving, in addition to his wife, Jan, are one son, the Rev. Richard J. Bender and wife, Kay, of Lewistown; three daughters, Mrs. Donald A. (Barbara) Reed of Bellefonte, Mrs. Eugene (Elizabeth) Cutter of McVeytown and Mrs. Katharine Wertz of Casselberry, Fla.; two brothers, Robert Bender of Champaign, Ill., and Laurence Bender of Linden; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by an infant brother, John Bender.
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 40 S. Third St., Lewisburg. Officiating will be the Rev. Brian Vasey, pastor of Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, the Rev. R. Jeffrey Fisher, pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church, Grantville, the Rev. MacKenzie Scott, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lewisburg, and the Rev. Richard J. Bender, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, Lewistown. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to either Mission Central, P.O. Box 2053, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-2053, or Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church, 40 S. Third St., Lewisburg, PA 17837.
The family is being assisted by the Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis streets, Lewisburg.