Dick Church Obituary, Death – CHURCH, Jr., Richard “Dick” After a brief battle with illness, on December 8th, a resident of Miamisburg who was 81 years old passed away. Dick Church was born on April 6th, 1941, to Richard and Nellie Church, who have now passed away. Along with his parents, he was also predeceased by his older brother James. Dr. Judith Church, his wife of 55 years, is the only person he leaves behind. Dick was born in Miamisburg, Ohio, and has spent the majority of his life in that city. In 1959, he received his diploma from Miamisburg High School, where he had participated in the school’s marching band and served as editor of the school newspaper. Dick’s life was profoundly impacted by the time he spent as a student participating in the yearly Buckeye Boys State program. After that, he developed a keen interest in the affairs of the community and boasted to his pals that he would one day run for office at the municipal level. He was faithful to his promise.
After graduating from high school and spending some time at Miami University, he spent the early years of his adult life performing several professions, including that of a police dispatcher and a reporter for the Miamisburg News. In later years, he became a co-owner of the floral shop that had been in his family for generations, Church’s Flowers. During those years, he was also involved as a volunteer, serving on the City of Miamisburg Parks Board and the committee that established the city’s charter in the 1960s. During those years, he was active in the community.
Following his retirement, Dick wasted no time in embarking on a career in politics. In 1991, he was elected to a position on the Miamisburg City Council, and after serving for one term, he ran for mayor as he had promised decades earlier. He defeated the incumbent in a race that was fraught with difficulty by a margin of 27 votes. The post of mayor in Miamisburg is a part-time role; nevertheless, Dick Church had a full-time enthusiasm for serving the community. During the next 28 years that he served as mayor, he did so with great pride for his city, and he eagerly accepted the responsibility of leadership. He took on the motto “Great things are happening” and labored relentlessly to ensure that it was a true reflection of the state of affairs. During his record-setting stint as mayor of Miamisburg, the city weathered the loss of its major company (Mound Lab), rebuilt its historic downtown district, increased both its population and land size, and progressed in a number of different ways. During his time in government, he was also a member of a large number of boards at the local, regional, and national levels.
After he left office, he took a position as a part-time administrator for the Mound Development Corp., the organization that is in charge of repurposing the Mound Business Park.