Richard R. Gillum

Richard R. Gillum Jr. passed away unexpectedly at home the morning of June 2, 2013. Dick was loved by so many and will be dearly missed by all. He was born October 22, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated from Newport Beach High School, Newport Beach, California in 1944. Dick proudly served his country in the Navy during World War II. After the war, he earned his bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. A very gifted intellect, Dick worked in the aerospace and ordnance industries and held many patents including a braking system used in Semi trucks and Winnebago's as well as the CHAMP, a controllable, hand-held, automatic, machine pistol. He retired from Ares, Inc. in 1980 then developed and owned Shade Tree Country RV Park in Marblehead, Ohio. Dick loved the outdoors and spent much of his free time roaming the mountains in California and later the Marblehead Peninsula and the Arizona desert. He was always tinkering with some idea or project and designed and built his own gyrocopter at age 75. He spent the last 15 years working on his proof of his Theory of the Aerodynamics of Flight. When his son was in grade school, Dick was a Scout Leader and Little League Baseball coach, being greatly loved and respected by those he helped to mold into young adults. Despite all his great achievements, however, he was most proud of his family. Lovingly known as "Grandfather Sir" by his grandchildren, he was better known as "Papaw Frog". His uncanny, wry sense of humor, which revealed his unique way of thinking, could bring a smile and a chuckle at just the right moment. He was a devoted husband to Barb and father to Lisa, Jen, and Rich. He and Barb led a full and loving life together for over 53 years. Surviving are his wife" Barbara; daughters: Lisa (Bill) Wiewandt of Port Clinton, Jennifer (Ken) Ackerman of Medina; son: Richard R. (Stacie) Gillum III of Marblehead; grandchildren: Tiffany Todd, Jayde (Rob) Taylor, Jordan Wiewandt, Katy Wiewandt, Connor Gillum, Claudia Gillum, Cameron Gillum Kyle Ackerman; great-grandchildren: Trent Taylor and Valentina Taylor. He was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 am Thursday, June 6, 2013 at Neidecker, LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home, Peninsula Chapel, Lakeside-Marblehead, OH where visitation will be held Wednesday from 2:00 4:00 and 6:00 8:00 pm. Interment will be in Sackett Cemetery, Danbury Township. Funeral Home: Neidecker-LeVeck & Crosser Funeral Home - Peninsula Chapel 7755 East Harbor Road Lakeside-Marblehead, OH