Richard Wayne Graeber, 52
"Today is a sad but joyous day. The Lord gave Richard Wayne Graeber an end to his battle with cancer and a chance to sit forever at Jesus' feet" on Nov. 18, 2008.
Richard was born in El Centro, Calif., on Aug. 31, 1956, and lived with his family in the Los Angeles area until 1969, when the family moved to Billings. After graduating from Billings Senior High in 1974, Richard worked as a disc jockey and as a cook for many years, until the last nine years that he spent working in data entry.
Richard met and married the love of his life, Rita, in 1994.
It is sad because he will be greatly missed, but also joyous because the spiritual community celebrates another representative being a part of heaven, and Richard will be rejoicing loudly as he always did when he sang in the choir or during praise time at church! Richard would always reply, "It is good to be seen!" when someone would tell him, "It is good to see you." He would always try to inject humor and try to make you smile or think about his witty comebacks!
Even in death, Richard would want this day and his life to be an influence for Christ. He wasn't a Bible thumper, but would portray the love of Jesus in his daily life. He was always kind and willing to lend a hand wherever he could. He loved to sing, and served Christ in the Walk to Emmaus and Chrysalis communities in Billings and Powell, Wyo., and by being on the prayer team at church. Richard also spent many hours in the kitchen doing what he liked best -- cooking! He also would spend time working outside gardening, landscaping and keeping the lawn looking good!
His grandson, Noah, was a sunbeam in his life, and Richard loved to read to him, watch him play with his toys and interact with his cousins. Anyone who knew Richard knew that he loved life and being a part of it.
Richard was preceded in death by his father, Malcolm Graeber; and two brothers, Gary Stephenson and Mitchell Graeber.
He will be loved in memory by his wife, Rita; his sons, Christopher and wife, Jennifer, of Meinz, Germany, and Curtis and wife, Amber, of Billings; his daughters, Sharonna and friend, Corey LeBrun, of Billings, and Shanna of Baghdad, Iraq; his grandson, Noah, of Billings; his parents, Glen and Ruby Zimmerman, of Whitefish; his parents-in-law, Merlin and Marcia Myers, of Lewistown; his brothers, Mark "Bob" Stephenson and wife, Teresa, of Whitefish, and Brian Zimmerman and wife, Sara, of Boise, Idaho; and his sisters, Julie Hirschi and husband, Richard "Dick," of Whitefish, Jessica Flamm and husband, Vincent, of Jefferson City, and Brenda Heser-Young of Kalispell. His nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, brothers- and sisters-in-law and many very special friends also will miss him.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Faith Chapel, 517 Shiloh Road, in Billings. Burial will be at Terrace Gardens Cemetery in Billings and a memorial luncheon will be afterward at Faith Chapel.
If you wish, memorials can be made in Richard's name to PEAKS at the Northern Rockies Oncology Center, 1041 N. 29th, Billings, MT 59101; Billings Clinic Foundation, Hospice House (Riverstone Health); or to the Chase Hawkes Memorial Foundation, 122 N. 30th, Billings, MT 59101.