Richard L. Gerber

Richard L. Gerber, 84, passed away on November 2, 2022 at The Fairhaven Community. Richard was born on July 1, 1938 to John and Ruth (Klinger) Gerber of Nevada, Ohio.

Mr. Gerber married his high school sweetheart and neighbor, Phyllis Miller on March 17, 1957 and she survives. Together they had three children: Brian (Anne) Gerber, Michele Gucker, and Shannon (Kris) Klepper. Richard was the grandfather to eight grandchildren: Zachary, Jacob, Grant, Elise, Robert, Bennett, William and Annelise. He was also blessed with two great grandsons, Jackson and Bennett. Also surviving are sisters Marie Ekleberry and JoAnne Elnasser. He is preceded in death by an infant sister, Joyce.

Richard graduated from Nevada High School in 1956 and was an exceptional athlete - especially in baseball and track. In 1954 he was a proud member of Nevada's state championship track and field team. Later in life he was honored to be inducted into both the Wynford High School Sports Hall of Fame and the Wyandot County Sports Hall of Fame. Dick was a lifelong sports fan and enjoyed watching the Buckeyes and the Browns (everyone knew he was a diehard fan; you could often hear him yelling at the television).

Richard was a skilled and conscientious farmer for many years and was named 1977 Wyandot County Conservation Farmer of The Year. Richard also enjoyed raising Columbia sheep, which became a primary focus and passion in life. He retired in 2006 after serving forty years as the Executive Director of the Columbia Sheep Breeders Association of America.

During that time, he had the opportunity to travel around the country for various sheep industry events and also judged many prestigious national competitions. Richard was an influential and beloved fixture at such events and amongst fellow Columbia Sheep Association members. It is through this involvement that he met many of his lifelong friends. Dick was very dedicated to his job. He was incredibly proud and humbled that he and Phyllis were the one-time recipients of the Golden Bell Award - one of the few "treasures" he wanted with him in moving from his beloved farm to Fairhaven.

Richard enjoyed the simple pleasures in nature and in life, but many of those were stripped from him when he suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury in 1981. Despite this, he always considered himself to be a very blessed man.

He enjoyed antiques and learning all he could about Wyandot County history. An avid reader, Mr. Gerber spent the second half of his life researching local history, folklore and trivia, and leveraged that knowledge into self-publishing numerous books. It was very important to him to document and share his findings and stories with others - especially for his grandchildren - to whom he was incredibly devoted.

Mr. Gerber was an active member of Emmanuel United Church of Christ (Mud Church), where he served as a Sunday school teacher and president of the consistory.

Above all, Richard was particularly proud of his family. To them, he was a tremendous example of perseverance, strength and resilience. They will greatly miss his handsome smile and his love of a good story that could make him laugh until he cried.

The family would like to sincerely thank the Fairhaven staff for the wonderful and professional care he received in his final years.

Final arrangements will be made by Lucas-Batton Funeral Home. There will be a private memorial service for immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Richard's memory may be directed to United Church Homes in Upper Sandusky, Wyandot County Council on Aging, or a charity of the donor's choice and can be sent to Lucas-Batton, 476 S. Sandusky Ave. Upper Sandusky, OH 43351.

United Church Homes

The Wyandot County Council on Aging

Charity of the donor's choice