Dr. Richard H. Gier passed away peacefully with family by his side on December 3, 2022, in Ann Arbor, MI. Over the course of his final weeks, his entire family gathered to see him and say goodbye: his three sons, their wives, all six of his grandchildren, and his beautiful new great-granddaughter.
Richard was born on January 15, 1932, in Chicago, IL, to Jacob and Jeanne (Swerdloff) Gier. He grew up in Topeka, KS, and had a deep love for the rural landscape of the Midwest. He graduated with his undergraduate degree from University of Kansas and remained a devoted Jayhawk for life. He later attended the University of Chicago for medical school and spent his career caring for others as a family physician, member of the Public Health Service, and a psychiatrist with the VA.
Most important about his time in Chicago, however, was meeting Ruth Romanko, whom he would marry in 1958 and with whom he would spend the next 60 years. Ruth and Richard lived in several cities as they raised their family - Kansas City, KS, Tucson, AZ, Carbondale, IL, Zanesville, OH, Pocatello, ID - then found a home in Salt Lake City, UT in 1983, where they lived for 26 years until moving to Iowa City in 2009. Richard was a devoted and loving caregiver to Ruth, who died in 2018. After her death, Richard moved to Ann Arbor in order to be closer to family.
Richard was a lifelong learner, known for his shelves and shelves of books of all kinds - history, theology, sociology, anthropology, psychology - that he not only read, but about which he seemed to remember nearly every detail. He also enjoyed fiction by authors from a variety of backgrounds. He stayed up to date on medicine even after his retirement, and he took interest in whatever careers his family members chose to pursue.
Those who knew Richard will recall his penchant for adding the hottest of hot sauces to already spicy dishes, as well as his quirky and wry sense of humor. Those who were fortunate enough to “get” his jokes will treasure those memories with a smile.
Richard’s deep knowledge of a variety of topics allowed him to find common ground with nearly everyone he met. Though he claimed to have enjoyed the solitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard had many friends on his Glacier Hills hallway and beyond. While living at Oaknoll in Iowa City, he did Ruth’s and his laundry every day, at least in part because it gave him a chance to visit with his neighbors.
His most important connections in life, however, were with the members of his family. Richard loved his family dearly, and he shared the pride that he had for his family with everyone with whom he spoke. When they could not be together, Richard enjoyed staying in touch with family by FaceTime and email.
He also shared his beloved books with his family - books that he cherished and knew they would cherish for years to come. To receive the gift of a book from Richard was a sign of his love, a love he showed in Ruth’s final months by reading to her for hours on end before she passed.
Richard is survived by his three sons: David (Beth) of Ann Arbor, MI; Daniel (Francisca) of Oshkosh, WI; and Eric (Ami) of Seattle, WA; six grandchildren: Rodrigo (Shannon) of Philadelphia, PA; Nathaniel (Nia) of Minneapolis, MN; Andrés of Austin, TX; Emma (Konsta) of San Francisco, CA; Nadjia and Kaz of Seattle, WA; and one great-grandchild, Alba. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Ruth, and his sister, Ellen.
Richard’s family wishes to express their deep appreciation to all those who provided compassionate care to him in his final weeks, especially caregivers from Arbor Hospice and Interim Health.
In accordance with Richard’s wishes, his body has been donated to the University of Michigan’s Anatomical Donations Program. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the
Southern Poverty Law Center