Obituary Examples for a Father

Richard Allen "Rich" Carter, 79, of Columbus, Indiana, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Rich was born on July 22, 1947, in Seymour, Indiana, to William and Dorothy Carter. He married his wife, Linda, in 1969 and spent thirty-eight years at the engine plant, working his way up from the line to plant supervisor. He was proud of that job, but prouder of his family.

He was the dad who coached Little League, fixed every bicycle on the street and never let anyone leave without a handshake and a "drive safe." In retirement he took up woodworking, and nearly everyone in the family has a birdhouse or a bookshelf he built. He loved Indiana basketball, a fish fry on Fridays and a long drive with nowhere in particular to go.

Rich is survived by his wife of 57 years, Linda; his children, Michelle (Greg) Owens and Scott (Amy) Carter; four grandchildren; and his sister, Janet Fields. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Tom.

Visitation will be held Friday, October 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Maple Grove Funeral Home, and the funeral will be Saturday, October 10, at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the town's youth baseball league.

James Edward Whitaker, 82, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, passed away on October 2, 2026.

Jim was born on January 15, 1944, in Lumberton, North Carolina, the oldest of five children of Earl and Mae Whitaker. He enlisted in the Army at eighteen, served two tours in Vietnam, and retired as a sergeant first class after twenty-two years of service. He rarely talked about the war, but he kept in touch with the men he served with for the rest of his life.

After the Army he carried mail for eighteen years and knew every dog on his route by name. He was a Sunday-morning pancake maker, a fixer of lawn mowers and a man who believed you showed up early or you were late.

Jim is survived by his wife of 58 years, Barbara; his sons, Michael (Teresa) and Daniel (Kim); his daughter, Karen (Luis) Ortiz; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sisters, Ann and Carol. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Earl Jr. and Roy.

The funeral will be held Thursday, October 8, at 11 a.m. at Maple Grove Funeral Home, followed by interment with military honors at the state veterans cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a veterans' organization of your choice.

Harold Stern, 88, of Skokie, Illinois, died on October 4, 2026. A pharmacist for forty-five years and a lifelong member of Congregation Beth Shalom, he was the beloved husband of the late Miriam; loving father of David (Rachel) Stern and Susan (Mark) Gold; and adored grandfather of five. The funeral will be held Tuesday, October 6, at 11 a.m. at the congregation, with burial to follow. Shiva will be observed at the home of Susan and Mark Gold. Contributions in his memory may be made to the congregation.

Dale Wayne Peterson, 71, of Bemidji, Minnesota, passed away at home on September 30, 2026, with his family around him and the window open to the lake.

Dale was born on March 3, 1955, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He ran a small-engine repair shop for forty years, where he fixed more boat motors than anyone could count and charged less than he should have. Most mornings, before the shop opened, he was already on the water.

He taught his kids to bait a hook, to read the wind and to sit still long enough to hear a loon. He kept a coffee can of lures for every grandchild and a fishing report for anyone who asked. When the fish weren't biting, he would say, "They're biting somewhere," and move the boat.

Dale is survived by his wife, Patricia; his children, Eric (Jenna) Peterson and Holly (Sam) Lindgren; six grandchildren; and his fishing partner of fifty years, his brother Gary. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Ruth.

A celebration of Dale's life will be held Saturday, October 17, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion. Wear flannel; he would want you comfortable.

Michael Anthony "Mike" Russo, 67, of Providence, Rhode Island, passed away on October 7, 2026, after a short illness.

Mike married our mother, Carol, in 1994, when we were eight and eleven. He never asked us to call him Dad; one day we just did. He taught us to drive, to change a tire and to be the first to apologize, and he never once missed a game, a recital or a chance to embarrass us in front of our friends.

He drove a city bus for thirty years and knew half of Providence by their first names. At home he made Sunday gravy, argued with the television during Red Sox games and kept a drawer full of birthday cards for everyone he knew, just in case.

Mike is survived by his wife of 32 years, Carol; his children, Anthony Russo and Nicole (Jason) Bell; his grandchildren, Ava and Luca; and his brother, Paul Russo. He was preceded in death by his parents, Salvatore and Rose.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, October 14, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, with burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, please do something kind for a kid who needs it; that was Mike's way.