Richard Ricky J. Grauer

Richard Joseph Grauer went out for his final run on this earth in Longmont, Colorado, on Tuesday, May 1, 2018. He was born at St. Margaret's Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, to Richard Lee and Nancy Carol Reed Grauer, on April 29, 1959, the eldest of three children. Ricky helped his mother finish nurses' training at St. Margaret's, where the other nurses called him the Little Admiral. Due to his father's Mediterranean tour with the U.S. Navy, Ricky saw his father for the first time at four months old. He started school while the family lived at Pleasanton, Kansas, and continued at Concordia, Kansas, and Higginsville, Missouri. He excelled at sports, especially baseball, where his teams were sometimes managed by his father. He started the 7th grade at Antioch Junior High School in Kansas City North in 1971. Ricky graduated from Oak Park High School in 1977, lettering in cross country and track. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1977, serving from June 3, 1977 to June 2, 1981. Ricky went to boot camp at Camp Pendleton, California, where he qualified as an expert rifleman. He was posted to Twenty-Nine Palms, California; Manila, Philippines, and Okinawa; and Cherry Point, North Carolina. Ricky served with the Air Support Radar Team (ASRAT) for the USMC for three years, eight months. He separated from the Marine Corps as a Sergeant. Ricky trained as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at Oklahoma City, before being assigned to the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (Denver Center) at Longmont, Colorado. Mr. Grauer worked for the FAA for 25 years, retiring after a much-lauded career. A dedicated long-distance runner since junior high, he completed countless marathons, half-marathons, 10K, and 5K races. His two favorite marathons run with his father and uncle were the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. and the Rock ˜n' Roll Marathon in San Diego, the finish line for which is at Camp Pendleton. Mr. Grauer is survived by his wife Dawn Grauer of Longmont; son, Richard Ian Grauer and daughter, Amy Michelle Grauer of Lancaster, California, and daughter Samantha Grauer and grand-daughter Arrielle Mae Cook of Arvada, Colorado; step-sons Zach and Lyndon Moller of Longmont, Colorado; mother, Nancy Grauer of Golden, Colorado; sister, Tami Grauer of Golden, Colorado; brother Mike Grauer of Canyon, Texas; nieces, Hannah Grauer, Autumn Harvey, and Sarah Grauer; nephews, Matthew Finney and Canyon Harvey; great-niece, Victoria, and great-nephews, Otto, Christian, and Ezra; uncles, John H. Reed of Prairie Village, Kansas, Ronald K. and wife Frances Grauer, and Timothy J. and wife Jane, all of Marysville, Kansas; cousins, Stacey Heintz, Paige DeRuysher, Jenn Jessup, Jeff Reed, Julie Reed, Jamie Reed, and Joseph Reed, and family in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. He was preceded in death by his father, Richard L. Grauer; his grand-parents, Alfred C. Ted and Roberta Grauer, and Frank E. and Catherine Reed; his uncle Frank A. Reed; his aunts Marilyn Grauer and Mardue Reed; and his beloved dogs, Butch and Bilbo.In lieu of flowers the family request donations to K9s for Warriors: [email protected]. To share condolences, visit www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.