Richard George Healy

Richard George Healy, age 83, passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026, at the Brook Retirement Community in West Branch, Michigan. He was born on September 1, 1942, in Mauston, Wisconsin to Donald and Rosalie (Fobes) Healy.

His family moved to Spring Arbor, Michigan, in 1954 where his father studied for the ministry. They lived in several small Michigan towns before Richard left home. He graduated from Hillman High School in 1960 and went back to Wisconsin for a year, where he lived with an uncle, Charles Fobes. Returning to Michigan, he found employment at Buick in Flint, where he worked until his retirement in 1995. He was also self-employed in several business ventures, including vending machines.

Richard was the father of Richard Donald Healy and Michelle Healy, whom he shared with his first wife, Guadalupe Rodriguez. On June 6, 1998, he married Karen Eckstein, beginning a happy chapter in his life that lasted until her death December 10, 2018.

Richard always enjoyed spending time with family and was very generous with his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Two of his greatest interests in life were music and dancing. He enjoyed playing the piano and strumming away on his guitar. He studied ballroom dancing with a master teacher who was a top award-winner for ten years. When he was courting Karen, he told her that if she wanted to marry him she had to take up square-dancing. And so she did with a gusto that matched his. For years they went to square-dance and clogging events and competitions around the country and were highly admired for their dancing skills. Karen was an excellent seamstress and she created multiple outfits over the years for both of them that were the envy of the other dancers. Over the years Richard also collected belts to go with his dancing outfits that were notable for their fanciness and style.

Although his health declined and necessitated his moving into assisted living, first in Flint and then in The Brook Retirement Community in West Branch, Michigan, he made a number of friends who ate meals with him in the dining room and enjoyed his piano-playing in the community room.

Richard is survived by his grandchildren Melissa Bonham, Dallas Healy, Sydni Healy, Katelynn Davis, and Auston Healy; nieces and nephews, Laura Cottrell, Matthew Sherman, Brent Sherman, Nicholas Carper, and Amy Carper; and a brother, Ronald Healy and a sister Patricia Carper.

He was predeceased by his wife Karen, his parents Donald Healy and Rosalie (Fobes) Healy; his children Richard Donald Healy and Michelle Healy; and his sister Donna Sherman.

Funeral services will be held at Steuernol & McLaren Funeral Homes - West Branch on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. with visitation starting at 1:00 p.m. Pastor Harvey Fry will officiate.

Richard will be buried next to Karen at Flint Memorial Park in Mt. Morris, Michigan.

Online condolences can be shared at www.steuernolmclaren.com