Richard A. Kramer

KRAMER, Richard Alan, lived a wonderful, long, and interesting life and died unexpectedly on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Born in Springfield, Ohio on January 23, 1938 to Mildred and Paul Kramer, he was the middle of three brothers, Paul (Bud) and Michael. He attended Catholic Central High School and played football at Wilmington College. He married the girl next door, Penelope Miller, and together they raised two daughters. Kellee Byrd lives in Rio Rancho, NM with her son Anthony. Tami lives in Lake Wisconsin with her husband Gregg Newman. He loved spending time with his family and had a close bond with his nephew, Mike Kramer. In 2014, he married Janis (Szczepanski) and often describes her as the love of his life. He was so proud of her and loved her daughter Linda and her son Mike and their families. They split their time between Las Cruces, NM and Milwaukee, WI. Rick served in the Navy Submarine Service for 4 years and returned to his hometown and joined the Police Department. He trained in the fingerprint and ballistics lab and earned his Master's Degree. This opened the door to a teaching post in Wausau, WI where he taught the Police Science program for 25 years. His pioneering work in fingerprint analysis earned his Doctorate Degree. Dr. Kramer taught for another 7 years at College of the Ozarks in Missouri. After retiring he enjoyed golfing, and traveling, and adored singing Karaoke every chance he got. He left behind an enormous number of friends and was a member of the Masons and the Elks. Many people will remember Rick's zest for life, his artistic ability for wood carving, his portrayal of Santa Claus, and his ability to tell tall tales with a straight face and to tell a joke through his own laughter. He'll be missed by everyone who knew him.