Richard A. Crum

It has been said “Old Soldiers never die they only fade away.” And so, this old soldier has faded away at the age of 92. The oldest child of Frank and Grace (Auble) Crum, Richard was born March 8, 1924 in Lodi, Medina County, Ohio and passed away on July 19, 2016 at the age of 92. He spent his youth in Lodi and graduated from Lodi High School with the Class of 1942. In World War II, he served in North Africa and Europe with Company “C”, 26th Infantry Regiment, a part of the first Infantry Division…the Big Red One. As such, he participated in two amphibious D-Day operations, the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943 and Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. He served in five campaigns and was never wounded. He returned to Lodi following the War and attended the College of Agriculture at Ohio State University, graduating in March, 1951. For the next five years, he worked as a Research Technician in Plant Pathology at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station at Wooster, Ohio. In 1956 he took a similar position with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, a part of Michigan State University. He served here until he retired on January 1, 1991. Since March, 2016, he has resided in Jenison, MI. Dick always said his life had many blessings, one great one occurring on June 20, 1959 when he was married to Janis Williams of Eaton Rapids, MI. She survives as do their three children: Lynette (Chris Copping) of Rockford, MI; John Crum of Jenison, MI and Don (Sue) Crum of Oakland, CA. Also surviving are their two grandchildren, Lauren Copping and Matthew Copping of Rockford, MI and two sisters-in-law, Beverly Notestine of Farmington Hills, MI and Joanne Parker of Lansing, MI. Dick was a survivor having survived all in the family of his youth, all of his first cousins, and all but two with whom he served in World War II. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at New Hope Church of Haslett, 1340 Haslett Rd., Haslett, MI 48840, followed by Military Honors at 12:00 Noon. The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2016 at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 E. Grand River Avenue, East Lansing, MI 55124.Those wishing to do so may donate in his memory to Hospice House of Mid-Michigan, 1210 W. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48915. The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing. On line condolences may be made at www.greastlansing.com