J. Richard “Dick” Stauffer, 92, Lititz, formerly of Rothsville and Ephrata, died Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014, at Hospice and Community Care.
Born in Rothsville, he was the husband of Eleanor Lillian Gerhard Stauffer, and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Dec. 4. He was the son of the late Earl Y. and Mary C. Weidler Stauffer.
Dick graduated from Warwick Township High School, Rothsville, in 1939 and Drexel Institute of Technology 1944 with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He received his Professional Engineers License in 1949 and was a lifetime member of the Professional Engineers Society.
He entered the United States Army Air Corps in January 1944 and was assigned to the Army Air Corps Cadet Engineering School at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut from where he graduated as a Second Lieutenant, September 1944. He was assigned to the Power Plant Laboratory, electrical engineering section at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. In November 1945, he volunteered to serve on detached service at Ladd Field, Fairbanks, Alaska to do electrical engineering on a new cold weather test facility for jet engines. He received an Honorable Discharge in June of 1946.
He was recalled in 1951 as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force to serve in the electrical engineering section of the Power Plant Laboratory at W.P.A.B. where he had previously served in World War II. He was Honorably Discharged after serving 17 months.
He spent 3 years as an Electrical Engineer with Philadelphia Electric Company prior to starting his own electrical business. In 1949, he was instrumental in forming Earl Y. Stauffer & Sons, an electrical engineering and construction company in Ephrata, of which he was president. He sold the electrical business in 1984 to Haller Electric.
In 1960, he formed a Real Estate Partnership to build Twin Brook Mobile Home Park on his grandfather’s farm in Rothsville. He was instrumental in the design, engineering of the water system and sewer system and management of the park. The park was sold in 1986.
An active member of First United Methodist Church, Ephrata, he served in many administrator positions including Chairman of the Administrator’s Council and President of the Board of Trustees. In 1957, he helped organize the Boy Scout Troop #73 and was an active troop committee member for many years.
A 32nd Degree Mason, he was a member of the Ephrata Lodge #665 Free and Accepted Masons.
His hobbies included golf, birding, walking, riding bike and dancing. He was a member of the Lebanon Country Club and Lake Fairways Country Club in N. Fort Myers, Florida, where they spent 20 winters.
In addition to his wife are two sons: James R., husband of Shirley (Crouse) Stauffer, Lancaster and Richard D., husband of Adele (Michener) Stauffer, Ephrata; a brother: Robert K., husband of Betty Stauffer, Ephrata; four grandchildren: Jocelyn R. Stauffer; Jonathon S., husband of Angela Stauffer; Thomas R., husband of Shannon Stauffer and Julie A. Barna; three great-grandchildren: Kaelyn Stauffer, Mason Stauffer and Ruby Rose Barna. He was preceded in death by a son, Thomas Scott Stauffer, who died in 1972.
Relatives and friends attended a life celebration memorial service Feb. 24 with the Rev. Walter S. Carter officiating at the Community Room of Luther Acres. Private interment will be held at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to Hospice and Community Care, 685 Good Drive, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125 or Luther Acres Caring Fund, 600 E. Main Street, Lititz, PA 17543.
To share a fond memory of Dick, visit lifecelebration.com.