Mr. Kevin Richard "Rich" Stayer

Kevin Richard "Mr. Rich" Stayer, age 60, of Huntington, IN, passed away at 3:10 am on Friday January 17, 2025, at The Waters of Huntington. Born on May 14, 1964, in West Springfield, MA he was the son of Everett and Dorothy (Elkins) Stayer. Rich attended Thorncreek Elementary and Junior High, then Columbia City Joint High School and graduated with the Class of 1982. Following high school he attended University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne for two years, where he made the Deans List. On February 25, 1989, Rich married Linda Sue Creech in Columbia City. He worked for the Huntington County Schools Corporation at Flint Springs Elementary School. He helped children with special needs as an Interventionalist, the highest-level paraprofessional. Rich had just completed 36 years of service and worked with over 18,000 children, mostly in grades 3-5. Rich enjoyed history, genealogy, and was an avid Peanuts characters collector. Survivors include his wife Linda Stayer of Huntington; sister Vickie (Lee) Stanley Osceola, IN; nieces Heather Whiteman and Rachael (Bryce) Metcalf, both of Osceola; great niece Lillian Whiteman of Osceola; great nephew Liam Whiteman of Osceola; bonus daughter Tori Fletcher Huntington; bonus grandson Braxton Fletcher of Huntington; sisters-in-law Glenna (John) Martin of New Haven and Martha (Bart) Huffman of Silver Lake; brothers-in-law Bill (Nancy) Creech of Plymouth and Ron (Anita) Creech of Celeste, TX; beloved cat Meow Kitty Stayer. Additionally, there are numerous nieces and nephews; great-nieces and nephews; and great-great-nieces and nephews that he loved dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents Everett and Dorothy Stayer, father and mother-in-law Darrell and Mary Creech. Funeral services for Rich will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday January 23, 2025, at DeMoney Grimes Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City, with calling two hours prior to service. Burial will follow in South Whitley Cemetery, South Whitley. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held at Life Church Huntington, 900 East State Street, Huntington, on Saturday February 15, 2025, from 1:00-5:00 pm Memorial contributions in memory of Rich may be made to St. Jude’s Children s Hospital or to DeMoney Grimes towards final expenses. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send family condolences or to sign the online guest register. Burial South Whitley Cemetery , South Whitley IN 46787 Visitation Thursday, January 23rd, 2025 11:00 am - 01:00 pm DeMoney Grimes Funeral Home 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City IN 46725 Funeral Service Thursday, January 23rd, 2025 01:00 pm DeMoney Grimes Funeral Home 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City IN 46725 Celebration of Life Saturday, February 15th, 2025 01:00 pm - 05:00 pm Life Church Huntington 900 East State Street, Huntington IN 46750 To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Mr. Kevin, please visit our Tree Store.