Richard Artis

Richard G. Artis, 72, of Bellefontaine, Ohio, passed away Wednesday, December 25, 2013 at Lima Memorial Hospital in Lima, Ohio.

He was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio June 29, 1941, a son of the late Watson T. and Kathryn (Ratleff) Artis. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Dianne (Whetsel) Artis in 1992 and a sister, Mary “Toonie” Brown.

In August of 2003, he married the former Alice Ogula and she survives along with children, June, William, Victoria, Joanna, Scott; step-children, Ashley and Tamara; fourteen grandchildren; one great-grandchild; siblings, David (Juanita) Artis, Marilyn (Al) Brown, Cindy (James) Johnson and fourteen nieces and nephews.

A 1959 graduate of Bellefontaine High School, he was inducted into the Bellefontaine High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Softball Hall of Fame in 2005. He worked for the City of Bellefontaine Engineer’s Office where he retired after thirty years and was a member of the Auburn Avenue Baptist Church in Bellefontaine. He was a huge fan of the Bellefontaine Chieftains, Cleveland Browns and The Ohio State University Buckeyes.

Pastors Settles Townsend and Frank McCullough will conduct the funeral service Saturday, December 28, 2013 at 6:00 P.M. at the Eichholtz Funeral Home in Bellefontaine where calling hours will be held from 3 to 6 P.M. prior to the service.

The staff of the Eichholtz Funeral Home in Bellefontaine assisted the family with the arrangements.