Carl A Richter

Carl A. Richter, 90 of Otsego Lake Township, died on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at home. Born on May 27, 1923 in Saginaw, Carl was the son of Alvin and Anna (Anderson) Richter. The family moved to the Maple Forest area in 1927 and Carl graduated from Frederic High School in 1941. In May of 1944 he joined the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the LST 806 in the South Pacific. He was discharged in 1946. For several years, Carl lived in the Otsego/Plainwell area in southwest Michigan. He returned to the area in 1961. From 1965-1985 he owned and operated The Cabinet Shop in Gaylord, specializing in kitchen cabinetry and countertops. He will be remembered for his skill as a craftsman and builder, his love of farming, gardening, fishing and hunting. A private pilot, he once owned a float plane with his friends and he enjoyed their fly-in fishing trips. Carl loved life and especially enjoyed time spent with his grandchildren. He was a life member of VFW Post #1518 in Gaylord. Since 1992 Carl had shared his life with Shirley. They enjoyed spending their winters in Brooksville, Florida. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; a daughter, Carlene Collins of Grandville; sons, Greg Richter of Tustin and Warren (Susie) Richter of Leroy; a stepdaughter, Jennifer Wilson of Austin, TX; stepsons, Greg Wilson of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Brian (Debra) Wilson of Ferndale and Mark (Stephanie) Wilson of Traverse City; eleven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren; a sister, Dorothy Hanley of New Port Richey, FL and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a son, Eric Richter and sisters Alvina Switzer and Marjorie Hall. A memorial gathering will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, July 27, 2013 at Gaylord Community Funeral Home, 850 North Center Avenue in Gaylord. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Michigan or the Frederic Library through Gaylord Community Funeral Home, P.O. Box 249, Gaylord, MI 49734.