Former Bluffton resident, Wesley D. Richard, 80, of Goshen, Indiana, died from a second brain bleed Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at Elkhart General Hospital.

He was born in 1939 in Washington County, Iowa, to Glen and Margaret (Wenger) Richard and grew up near Wayland, Iowa. His parents preceded him in death.

In 1961 he married Sue Schlatter in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. She survives along with a daughter, Crystal (Tom) Miller, Portland, Oregon; a son, Mark (Stephanie) Richard, Omaha, Nebraska; and four grandchildren, Tim and Lydia Richard and Alyssa and Phillip Miller. Also surviving are three siblings, Duane (Sherry) Richard, Ocala, Florida, Gloria (Gary) Graber, Freeman, South Dakota and Lynn (Karen) Richard, Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Wesley and his wife, Sue, went to Japan in 1963 under the Mennonite Board of Missions where he learned Japanese and then taught English at Hokusei Gakuen University in Sapporo, Japan, and worked with the Sapporo Mennonite church for 19 years. 

Upon returning to the U.S. he joined the communication faculty at Bluffton University,  where he taught for 20 years and also served as co-pastor along with Sue at Elm Street Church of the Brethren in Lima. 

After retiring from teaching and preaching, Wesley and Sue settled in Goshen, Indiana. Since then the two of them have served as short term volunteers for the SOOP (service opportunities for older people) in various locations and served as an active member at the West Goshen Church of the Brethren as song leader, teacher, and as a deacon.

He recently wrote his memoirs and self-published a book about his time growing up in Iowa and in Japan titled: Life’s Template: Memoirs of a Tentmaker.

Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. at West Goshen Church of the Brethren.

A 1:30 p.m. funeral service will be conducted Saturday, Oct. 10, at the church with visitation beginning at noon.  Pastor Joel DeSelm will officiate.

Burial will follow at West Goshen Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the SOOP program through Mennonite Mission Network, PO Box 370, Elkhart, IN  46515

Online condolences may be shared at www.yoderculpfuneralhome.com.

To view the funeral service virtually visit www.westgoshenchurch.org; then click on the green “On-Line Worship” box. The funeral service will begin at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10.