Richard Raecker, 86, of the Cedar Falls Western Home Communities, formerly of Waterloo, died Saturday, January 3, 2015 at the Elizabeth E. Martin Health Center of the Western Home Communities.

Richard was born May 7, 1928 in Sheffield, Iowa the son of Henry and Esther Mehlhaus Raecker. He married Shirley Harnack September 16, 1951 in Cedar Falls She died October 25, 2013.
He served in the U.S. Army.

Richard graduated from Manley High School and attended North Central College in Naperville, IL.

He was the President of Harnack Company in Cedar Falls and a member of Waterloo First United Methodist Church. Richard loved people, he was interested in others- in their stories, in their families. He enjoyed watching and meeting new people. He enjoyed the opportunity to see and experience new things. Richard was the patriarch of the family. His business was very important to him, but so was his family.

Richard is survived by a son Martin and his wife Deb of Cedar Falls; a daughter Robin Hodgkin and her husband Timothy of El Centro, California; and son Chris of Crystal Lake, Illinois. He is also survived by two Grandsons: Mike Raecker and his wife Sarah, and Matt Raecker; two Great-grandsons: Jake & Zach; and a sister Evelyn Yablonski of Northbrook, Illinois.

He is preceded in death by a sister LaVon Cassidy.