Obituary for William T. (Bill) Rich, Jr.
William (Bill) T. Rich of Georgetown, IN passed away just before 3:00 pm on Sunday, September 1 at IU Bloomington Hospital, surrounded by his family. Bill was 82.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Tivis and Gladys (Hardy) and by his eldest son, Jean-Pierre.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Huguette (Marlin); his daughter, Marie-Chantal (Paul) Diehl; his three sons, Phil (Paula), Jean-Paul, and Jean-Patrick (Cheryl); 11 grandchildren, Christian, Colson, Cambron (Meg), Brandon, Caleb (Tiffany), Jean-Pascal, Jean-Claude, Marie-Claire, Jean-Bernard, Madeleine and Grace and a brother, Robert (Barbara).
Bill graduated from Louisville Flaget High School in 1955, where he lettered in football and baseball. He went on to play baseball for Bellarmine before leaving early to join the U.S. Air Force where he served as an M.P. while stationed in England. It was in England that he met and married Huguette, who had moved to England from her native home of Normandy France to practice nursing.
He worked for the USPS while he and Huguette raised their family in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood. The family also lived for a couple of years in France. Back on this side of the pond, Bill worked nights and weekends, while attending University of Louisville, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology. He then began his next chapter as a Probation and Parole Officer with Kentucky Probation and Parole Board, until he retired in 2002.
He was a member of Our Lady Catholic Church, an avid reader, and quite proficient at amateur photography. We could always count on Pépère (Grandpa in French) to be there with his camera at the ready for family events.
Bill and Huguette were from an era where the American Dream meant preparing and positioning your children for a better life than the generation before them. By all accounts, they succeeded. Their greatest gift, however, was to teach the value of a loving relationship, a simple life with family, and dinner at home each night (NO TV!) Together they gave of themselves to their family, friends and to others in need.
His funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 7, 2019 at St. James Catholic Church, 1826 Edenside Ave. with burial in Calvary cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Rd.
Memorial gifts can be made to St. Labre Indian School Mission, P.O. Box 216 Ashland, MT 59003-9989
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, Tivis and Gladys (Hardy) and by his eldest son, Jean-Pierre.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Huguette (Marlin); his daughter, Marie-Chantal (Paul) Diehl; his three sons, Phil (Paula), Jean-Paul, and Jean-Patrick (Cheryl); 11 grandchildren, Christian, Colson, Cambron (Meg), Brandon, Caleb (Tiffany), Jean-Pascal, Jean-Claude, Marie-Claire, Jean-Bernard, Madeleine and Grace and a brother, Robert (Barbara).
Bill graduated from Louisville Flaget High School in 1955, where he lettered in football and baseball. He went on to play baseball for Bellarmine before leaving early to join the U.S. Air Force where he served as an M.P. while stationed in England. It was in England that he met and married Huguette, who had moved to England from her native home of Normandy France to practice nursing.
He worked for the USPS while he and Huguette raised their family in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood. The family also lived for a couple of years in France. Back on this side of the pond, Bill worked nights and weekends, while attending University of Louisville, where he earned a B.A. in Sociology. He then began his next chapter as a Probation and Parole Officer with Kentucky Probation and Parole Board, until he retired in 2002.
He was a member of Our Lady Catholic Church, an avid reader, and quite proficient at amateur photography. We could always count on Pépère (Grandpa in French) to be there with his camera at the ready for family events.
Bill and Huguette were from an era where the American Dream meant preparing and positioning your children for a better life than the generation before them. By all accounts, they succeeded. Their greatest gift, however, was to teach the value of a loving relationship, a simple life with family, and dinner at home each night (NO TV!) Together they gave of themselves to their family, friends and to others in need.
His funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 7, 2019 at St. James Catholic Church, 1826 Edenside Ave. with burial in Calvary cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday at Highlands Funeral Home, 3331 Taylorsville Rd.
Memorial gifts can be made to St. Labre Indian School Mission, P.O. Box 216 Ashland, MT 59003-9989