Richard E. LeVan

Richard Eugene LeVan, 82, of West Liberty, passed away Sunday, September 8, 2024, in Ohio Health Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus.

He was born on November 10, 1941, in Logan County, OH, a son of the late Jacob Richard and Margaret Marie (Allmon) LeVan. He was preceded in death by his parents, and two sisters who married brothers, Crystal Irene (Clyde ) Ropp: and Phyllis Marie (Emanual) Ropp.

He married Linda Kay Mitchell on April 28, 1962, in Bellefontaine, and she survives, along with a daughter, Kimberly K. (Carl) Jenkins, and a son, Brian R. (Wendy) LeVan both of West Liberty, seven grandchildren, and five great - grandchildren: one niece Diana (Warren) Baughman, Bellefontaine, OH; and one nephew Edward (Carol) Ropp, Cable, OH.

Richard was a 1959 graduate of Zanesfield Monroe School in Zanesfield, OH. He cherished his early life growing up and working on the Monroe Twp. family farm raising crops and Duroc market and show hogs winning blue ribbons at the Logan County Fair. Following graduation, he worked for a short time for both Rockwell International, Bellefontaine and the former Craigs Grain Elevator, West Liberty.

In 1960 he joined Holdren Bros. Fabricators, West Liberty, OH. and worked for 17 years where he did welding, machining, fabricating specialized machines of all kinds for area companies, building Fire Tanker Trucks for Fire Safety Services, Lakeview, and for the West Liberty Fire Department. He managed the company’s plastic injection molding department for several years.

In 1977 he went to work for the (TRC) Transportation Research Center, East Liberty, with the Automotive Crash Simulation group where he specialized in improving the design and calibration of (ATD) Anthropomorphic Test Devices, commonly known as Automotive Crash Test Dummies used in automotive safety design and testing. The last seven years of his career at (TRC) he worked as an Engineering Technician for the (USDOT) U.S, Department of Transportation, (NHTSA) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, located at East Liberty, OH. and was proud to have an Associate Membership with the (SAE) Society Of Automotive Engineers, while traveling and working with the Crash Dummy committees before retiring in 2004.

He was honored for his years of support to the West Liberty area community by being chosen a Grand Marshal of the 2023 West Liberty Labor Day Parade.

In his younger years he helped coach a little league baseball team, he was a member of the West Liberty Fire Department and retired as a Lieutenant after 31 years of service to the area and was a former member of the United Church of Christ in West Liberty. To his friends and family, he was known as a jack of all trades and was always a perfectionist at everything he attempted. Following retirement his first task was the design and construction of their new retirement home, his favorite sport was college football, and he enjoyed traveling the country with his wife, working on his model railroad project and starting each morning with coffee, watching the world news and loving his dachshund dog (Snickers).

Richard will continue to be loved and sorely missed every day by his family, friends and community.

Pastor Clark Howe will officiate a funeral service at 12Noon on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, in the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, 101 Zanesfield Rd, West Liberty, Ohio 43357. Visitation will be Tuesday, September 10th from 4 to 7pm at the West Liberty funeral home and again on Wednesday, from 11am to 12Noon prior to services. Burial will be private in the Fairview Cemetery, West Liberty.

Memorial contributions may be made to the West Liberty Fire Department, 201 N. Detroit Street, West Liberty, Ohio 43357.

EICHHOLTZ DARING & SANFORD FUNERAL HOME, WEST LIBERTY, is honored to serve the LeVan family and encourages anyone to share a fond memory or message of condolence at www.edsfh.com 

FAMILY AUTORED OBITUARY

TFD