Richard Joseph Ellerbach lived life to the fullest, his way, and those around him are forever grateful for the opportunity to ride along.
On Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, he died following a fall at his home on Christmas morning. His wife and four adoring daughters were by his side.
He was born on May 19, 1943, in Dubuque, Iowa, to Catherine Mary (Dolly) McCoy and Joseph John Ellerbach. While his father served in the U.S. Army overseas in World War II during the first three years of his life, Richard bonded with his mother. That bond was never broken.
He developed his love of hard work and "entrepreneurship" early in his young life. He often regaled family and friends with tales of his early work history spent baling hay, setting pins in the local bowling alley, selling peanuts at the ballpark, and selling ceramics door-to-door with his sister, Sharon. By the age of 15 he was working full-time as a gas station attendant, fry cook and waiter at his uncle Harold's truck stop in Dubuque.
In June 1960, shortly after his 17th birthday, he convinced his parents that high school was not for him and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, leaving home with $5 in his pocket and a bit of uncertainty that he would pass the physical. To his surprise, he did! He spent the next five years growing up, he would say, and also developed a lifelong love for traveling. His last assignment took him to Upper Heyford, England, a country he revisited numerous times throughout his life.
In 1963, he married Helen White of Rapid City, SD. Their daughter Jennifer Ayn was born in 1972. And though, Richard and Helen divorced soon afterwards, he always cherished being Jenner's father.
Although he often joked that his high school "career" was spent being ejected from every Catholic and public school in Dubuque, his time in the Air Force also resulted in a love of learning. A persistent Catholic nun encouraged and helped him complete his high school degree in 1964. He became a voracious reader and in 1968 he received his bachelor's degree with honors from Sacramento State University. Upon graduation, he received a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin (Madison) where he earned his master's degree in business administration in 1969.
He was hired by Touche Ross, then regarded as a "Big 8" accounting firm, as a management consultant in Madison and later in St. Louis, Mo. He enjoyed working directly with clients and helping them achieve success with their businesses. He later admitted, though, the corporate environment didn't suit him. He started his own business consulting firm where he initially worked alongside the Small Business Administration helping local minority businesses with loan application preparation, business accounting systems and tax planning services. Later he consulted with various insurance, retail, and manufacturing clients that took him to New York, Los Angeles, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, and to Kansas City. Along the way he obtained various securities and insurance licensing in order to expand his business.
In 1979, while serving as the keynote speaker at a conference, he met a young woman working at the conference named Susan. After an initial disagreement about his name he told her it was Richard, she called him Dick the two agreed to get together on their return to Kansas City. He didn't call. She did. They were married on March 1, 1980, and spent the rest of his life together.
In Kansas City, Richard began a second career after accepting a part-time instructor position at Rockhurst College. In 1979, he and Susan moved to Rapid City to be closer to Jennifer where he taught full-time at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. While there, he conducted numerous seminars in the community about investing, finance strategies and tax laws. In 1981, he authored a book "Tax Reduction Strategies for Small Businesses," published by Prentiss Hall.
In 1982, he moved his growing family to Tahlequah, OK, and began teaching economics at Northeastern State University. After moving to Tulsa in 1985, Richard continued as a part-time professor until 1991 when he opened Ellerbach Planning Associates and focused more time on his financial consulting business. He retired from consulting permanently in 2013.
During the 1980s, Richard and Susan welcomed three more daughters: Lindsey Beth, Mary Catherine, and Samantha Lyn. He often joked that he was surrounded by women, including the family dogs and cats that he called his "floozies."
He loved taking his girls on "secret missions" for milkshakes, cheese fries and a few chicken wings. While Susan worked late many evenings, he would often take the girls and their friends to "read the paper" with him where they read Tiger Beat and ate French fries while he enjoyed a Manhattan while reading the Tulsa World. Whoever was the most well behaved, got the cherry in the bottom of his glass.
And as they grew, he adored taking them to places he loved including a family cabin in South Dakota, a second-home in Florida, and to his beloved London, England. The trips were always adventures, with the girls chasing after him as he "sprinted" through the British countryside and the art museums.
He also planned trips for just Susan and him, surprising her with destinations like Tahiti, New Zealand, and Fiji. They went snorkeling, on Jeep tours, and seeing places they would never forget. He always returned with some additions to his closet full of tropical shirts.
As the girls grew older, he continued "reading his paper." He had conversations with fellow gadflies and bartenders, shared stories of his travels and, of course, read his paper. And he loved handing out a surprise $100 bill to someone who had served him well.
He loved his extended family, which included good friends he considered part of the family. He was a kind man who will be remembered and loved always for the knowledge, sometimes consternation, joy, laughter and love he brought to us all. Rest in peace, Pappy.
He was preceded in death by his parents, grandson Sean Richard Crecelius, his friend and brother-in-law Thomas Dix, friend Larry Miles, and cherished aunts and uncles.
He is survived by his wife, Susan Boling Ellerbach; daughter Jennifer Wagner (Josh) of Florissant, CO; daughters Lindsey Ellerbach, Mary Ellerbach, and Samantha Jones (Brandon), all of Tulsa; grandson Alexander Crecelius (Jennifer) of Sheridan, WY; grandchildren Quinn, Clara, Kieran and Charlotte Jones of Tulsa; and grandson Sean Wagner of Florissant, CO.
The family is requesting that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Dogtopia Foundation, < https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/DOGTOPIA/team/southtulsa >.
Or, if you prefer, tip someone a $100 bill in his honor.
A vigil will be held to celebrate his life on Friday, 5 p.m., at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, 4001 E. 101st St. A visitation will follow at the home of Mike and Linda Jones, 11401 S. 67th E. Ave. A funeral mass will take place on Saturday, 1 p.m., at St. Bernard's. Guests are invited to a reception at the family home following the mass.