Richard Stees

Richard Clair Stees, 86, loving husband, father, Papa, Pa, of 8 East Green St., Mifflinburg, left us on December 10, 2020 at Evangelical Community Hospital, Lewisburg.

Family and friends are welcome for a time of visitation from 10-11:30 a.m., Monday, April 12, at The Elias Center, 212 S. 5th St., Mifflinburg, where a Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:30, with Rev. Harry Harter, officiating. Masks and social distancing will be required.

He was born June 25, 1934 in Hartleton, a son of the late William L. and Helen (Diefenbach) Stees. On November 2, 1957 he married the former Patricia Middlesworth. Together they spent 63 wonderful loving years.

Four words that still hold true through his loving family: Friendly, Late, Football and Future Coach.

He was a member of the First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mifflinburg.

Richard grew up in the house which is the restored Elias Church. He had great pride in being a part of this restoration. He used to wait until the last minute to leave for school and always be late.

Richard graduated from Mifflinburg High School in 1952. He was a center of the football team and took great pride in being selected to play on the Western Stars dream team at Bucknell, and still has the program. He absolutely loved his football. He and Patricia held season tickets to Penn State for years and rooted for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After graduation, he enlisted in the US Army, and served on the Firing Squad for military funerals until retiring last year. He was a life member of the Mifflinburg Moose and Mifflinburg American Legion Post 410. He was very proud to be a veteran. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons Lodge 390, Mifflinburg.

He retired from the Bureau of Prisons on October 30, 1990. He had many stories from these days and kept signed photos and memorabilia, which he treasured.

Along the way, they owned a little bit of heaven on the Susquehanna River, where we will all have many memories of being together as a family, boats, fishing, Dad listening to the hits of the 50s and 60s, and if he didn’t know the words, he would make them up.

After the grandkids came along, he could always be found cheering them on in baseball and soccer. He was forever a supporter of his family. This is a void which will never be filled. He would always be your biggest fan and you could count on him being there for whatever turn life gave you. We will miss and love him forever.

Surviving in addition to his wife, are his best friend-his dog, Benson; daughter and son-in-law, Latisha “Tish” and William Kerstetter; grandchildren, Mandy Umbel and Donny Hallenbeck, Stacey and Shawn Moyer, Adam Umbel and Jeri Pfleegor, and Kaleb Kerstetter and Megan Sholly; great-grandchildren, McKenzie, Devin, Blake, Keian, Kera, Lyla, Taylor and Jase; and one great-great-grandchild, newborn Keian Jr. He is also survived by his daughter Stephanie Gantt’s family: Her children, Janelle Long and Randy Swartz, Chris Long and Wanda Jones, Bo Gantt and Sherri Warren; grandchildren Alex and her husband Melvin Martin, Dylan Swartz and girlfriend Leanna Troyer, Natalie, Olivia, and Allison Long, and Greenleigh and Grayden Gantt; his sister Janet Wagner of Mustang, Oklahoma; and nieces and nephews he always held close to his heart.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Stephanie Gantt in 2007; great-granddaughter, Gracie Lynn Gantt; brother, Ken Stees; sister-in-law, Jean Stees; and brother-in-law, Fred Wagner.

A hole in our hearts has been made and will never be filled. We have been so blessed to have had you for 86 years and make memories that will be forever cherished. Thank you for being you.

Private interment will be in the Hartleton Cemetery with military honors accorded by the American Legion Post 410 and VFW Post 1964, both of Mifflinburg.