Date of Death: September 23, 2024
Service Details
A service celebrating his life will be held Friday, September 27, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church with lunch to follow, 523 Maple St., Three Rivers with Pastor Mick Schmid officiating. He will be laid to rest at Ft. Custer National Cemetery.
Obituary Notice
Richard D. Kilburn, 80, of White Pigeon, passed away Monday, September 23, 2024 at Bronson Methodist Hospital.
He was born March 15, 1944 in Reedley, California, the son of John Richard and Eileen “Shorty” (Jones) Kilburn, and graduated from Three Rivers High School with the Class of 1963. He played football and baseball. He enjoyed hanging out with his buddies.
He was honorably discharged from the Military after serving as a Sergeant in the Army. He spent most of his deployment in Germany after being drafted during the Vietnam war.
Richard was a dedicated worker at Continental Can where he worked as the shipping manager. He finished his career working at Owens-Illinois. Through work he made a number of friends and they were what made it so special.
On July 29, 1967, he married Bettie Pendergrass. They were both dedicated to their family and their church.
Richard was an avid sports fan, especially of Detroit’s teams – the Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings. He loved to fish, and was a very active member of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church where he served as a loyal member, serving in the best interest of the church. He owned a Harley Davidson motorcycle and spent time riding alongside his daughter, Kim. After retirement he enjoyed playing cards with his friends and taking trips to see his grandchildren.
Remaining to cherish his memory are his wife, Bettie Kilburn; daughter, Kim (Bill) Clark of Kalamazoo; daughter, Stacey (Brent) Brekke of Waddington, NY and their children Bailee and Cody; son, Glenn (Jenna) of San Tan Valley, AZ, and their son Wyatt; brother, Donald (Judy) Kilburn of Portage; sister, Patricia (Mike) Dailey of Stanwood; sister-in-law, Linda Stokes of Three Rivers; several beloved aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Tommy Stokes; and nephew, Tommy Allen Stokes.
Additional Information
Donations in Richard’s memory may be directed to Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Envelopes will be available at the church and at Hohner Funeral Home.
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So sorry to know, Richie is loved and will be missed.
Jim & Kathy
Betty, Glenn and girls , so sorry to hear of your loss. Rich was a great guy. I still remember some of the hilarious stories you would tell about him at work Betty. Sending our prayers to all of you.
We are so sorry for your loss. We continue to pray for all of you and for God to give you strength.
To our colleague and friend Stacey, we send our heartfelt condolences to you and your family. We are all thinking of you and your family. Clarkson University Marketing & External Relations Colleagues
Bettie &family: So sad to hear of Richie’s passing He was a great guy with a wonderful sense of humor ! We will truly miss him. Love to you!
Richie was like an older brother in our growing up years, always watching out for the younger kids while playing in the neighborhood. During those years, their household was always busy with friends and relatives and everyone felt welcome. I always thought highly of Rich and my wife and I send our condolences to all of the family