Richard "Dick" Suter

Richard "Dick" Suter

Richard "Dick" Suter, 90, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 7, at Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Perrysburg. Dick was born in Melrose Park, Illinois on April 8, 1929, to the late Francis and Louise (Bodenberger) Suter.

Dick graduated from Marquette University in 1950 with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, and married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Dreher. He joined the United States Army in 1951 and served as an army engineer in Fort Knox, Kentucky until 1953. He then began working for the Chrysler Corporation where he served as resident engineer at the Detroit Universal Division; manufacturing and plant manager of the New Castle Machining and Forge Plant in Indiana, and was appointed Plant Manager of the Toledo Machining Plant in 1970 until he retired in August 1987.

In his retirement, Dick enjoyed playing golf, carpentry, camping trips with his grandsons, attending daily Mass, and sharing meals (and jabs) with his "Breakfast Club." A self-taught woodworker, Dick made a ministry out of his talent and loved being in his shop "with my friends, making things for the Lord," including numerous bookshelves for St Joseph School, the altar and ambo for St Joseph Church, and an altar for the St John Institute (Father Nathan Cromly) in Denver, CO.

Dick had a true servant's heart, never forgetting the sick, the poor or the widowed in his midst, and every year brought Christmas cheer to countless local families with his Christmas Eve deliveries. He served as he lived, always with great joy and gratitude to God.

The family wishes to thank Dick's fellow "Carpenters" and the "Breakfast Club" for their loyalty and friendship to Dick, especially during his illness. Thanks also to the Hospice nurses for their loving care of him in his last days.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Louise, his sister Barbara, and his beloved wife of nearly 63 years, Marilyn.

He is survived by his sister, Louise Harris, children: Cathy Ferran, Pat (Mark) Jacobs, Sue Wolgamot, Jim (Linda), Mary (Dave) Dressell, Tim (Miriam), Barb Suter, Tom, and Maggie (Matt) Viertlbeck; 25 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild….and counting!

Friends and family are invited to celebrate Dick's life on Sunday, August 11, from 2:00-8:00 p.m. at the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, 501 Conant St., Maumee, OH. The Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. Sunday. The funeral mass will be held Monday August 12, at 10:30 AM in St. Joseph Catholic Church 104 W. Broadway in Maumee. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the St. Joseph Building Fund, or Mass intentions for Dick and Marilyn Suter. Condolences may be shared with the family at walkerfuneralhomes.com