Kenneth Eugene Richter's Obituary
Kenneth Eugene Richter was born on December 23, 1943 in Waterloo, Iowa to Kenneth Robert and Jessie Loy Richter. Kenny, as he was known as by his friends, went to be with the Lord on July 27, 2025 at his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kenny graduated from high school in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1962, where he was on the golf team, developing a love for the game that would last throughout his life. He then attended State College of Iowa (now the University of Northern Iowa) where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. During college Kenny would work summers roofing houses and helping with his uncle’s homebuilding company. More importantly, he met the love of his life, Jan Deckert, who apparently couldn’t resist the cute boy who sat in the front of biology class with consistently crisp, well-pressed shirts.
Kenny and Jan married in August 1965, and they were less than one month from celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. Shortly after their wedding, Kenny joined the US Army, serving honorably for three years. He rose to the rank of Sargeant and worked in the White House Communications Office.
Kenny and Jan later moved to Colorado, where he worked in corporate accounting for many years. He loved the mountains and took his family on frequent camping trips, annual vacations to Vail, and competed in the grueling Ride The Rockies bicycle tour for many years, completing the event annually even into his fifties. It was also in Colorado that both Kenny and Jan came to know the Lord, beginning a mutual journey of faith they maintained throughout their marriage.
In 1976, Kenny and Jan welcomed their daughter Elizabeth (Liz), the great joy of their lives. After she graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1999, they too moved to Tulsa, where they have resided for the past 25 years.
During Kenny’s time in Tulsa, he continued to use his gift for numbers and analytics until retiring as accountant for a local heat and air company. He also consistently played golf, bridge, another passion developed from his high school days, and he spent many, many hours watching his three grandsons compete in too many sporting events to count.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years, Jan, his daughter Liz Phillips and her husband Dennis along with their sons Josh, Caleb, and Levi, all of Owasso. He also leaves a legacy of consistent, faithful service to the Lord and to his family, with countless cherished memories of time spent together.
The Funeral service will be 3:00 PM on Thursday, July 31st, at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
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