Serving West Michigan Since 1899

Richard Castle

May 25, 1941 - November 24, 2016
Zeeland, MI

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Service

Saturday, December 3, 2016
2:00 PM EST
Freedom Village
145 Columbia Avenue
Holland, MI 49423
(616) 298-3675

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


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Richard (“Rich”) Mabry Castle of Holland, Michigan, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2016, at Holland Hospital, from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. He was 75 years old.

Rich was born in Canton, Ohio on May 25, 1941, and raised in North Canton. He graduated from North Canton Hoover High School and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Kent State University. He married Kathryn (“Kathie”) Emily Wetzel in Toledo, Ohio on December 30, 1967. He had a long career as an engineer at various companies and institutions, including Hughes Aircraft, Mattel, RCA, McDonnell-Douglas and the University of Illinois. His accomplishments include obtaining patents for his inventions during his employment at RCA, while working on its video disc product. Rich and Kathie lived together in Manhattan Beach, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; St. Charles, Missouri; and Champaign, Illinois, before retiring to Zeeland, Michigan.

Rich was a lifelong amateur radio enthusiast, a hobby passed down from his father, Robert Mabry Castle. His call sign was N9BU.

He is survived by his wife, Kathie; his son, Robert Kent Castle; his daughter-in-law, Shannon Heard Castle; his granddaughters Winifred Manning Castle and Ryan St. John Castle; and his brother, Bruce Harry Castle. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Ruth Castle; and his siblings, Susan Gray, James Castle, and Gregory Castle.

A remembrance will be held at Freedom Village at Holland on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. A service for Rich's extended family and friends will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made in Rich's memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation:http://pulmonaryfibrosis.donorpages.com/Tribute/RichardCastle. Arrangements are by Dykstra Funeral Home – Downtown Chapel.