Cover photo for Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Liechty's Obituary
Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Liechty Profile Photo
1933 Rev. 2015

Rev. Dr. Ronald W. Liechty

July 13, 1933 — March 11, 2015

The Reverend Dr. Ronald W. Liechty passed away at home as a result of complications following a stroke on Wednesday evening, March 11, 2015, with his family at his side. Pastor Ron was 81 years old.

Born July 13, 1933, in South Bend, Indiana, Ron was the eldest child of Clarence E. and Verna (Welty) Liechty. He grew up working in his family’s business, the Liechty Hatchery, and being involved in the South Bend Table Tennis Club. He played on the US Tournament circuit from 1947-51, and ultimately won the junior singles national championship. He graduated from Riley High School in 1951 where he had been a six-year member of the marching band. He then graduated from DePauw University with a degree in economics in 1955. Drafted into the US Navy, Ron witnessed the poverty and human need of post-war Asia as he spent his shore leave visiting missionaries in each Far East port. The experience forever changed the focus of Ron’s life. He returned from his two years of service to enroll in Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Naperville, Illinois, and began serving Evangelical United Brethren congregations while a student there. He received his Master of Divinity Degree and was ordained in 1960. After denominational merger, Ron served in the North Conference of the United Methodist Church until he officially retired in 1980. In 1982, after finishing his Doctor of Ministry degree at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ron formally affiliated with the United Church of Christ, accepting the call from First United Church of Christ in Plymouth in January 1983. He retired from that pulpit in 1998, but continued to do interim ministry for the next fourteen years, serving five area congregations. Plymouth’s UCC congregation awarded him the honorary title of Pastor Emeritus in 2002.

Ron’s passion throughout his ministry was local church mission and ecumenism. As a pastor he emphasized reaching out to the community and working cooperatively to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways, working to solve community problems and to meet human needs. He was co-founder of the Adams Street Ministries that continues cooperative programming among five local churches. His favorite phrase was, “God doesn’t call us to be religious. God calls us to be faithful.” Ron was the consummate “trouble shooter” and was sought after for his calm and deliberate approach to running meetings and chairing boards in both religious and secular contexts. Ron’s passion for making a difference kept him active and involved in his adopted Plymouth community until his life-altering stroke on December 1, 2013. Ron was also beloved by his family for his sound advice and stoic support in every life situation. He leaves behind his wife of 33 years Anna (Bach) Liechty, eldest son Brian (and Becky) Liechty of Plymouth; daughter Susan Lynn (and Larry) Peterson of Tucson, AZ; foster daughter Debbie (and Damon) Bush of Plymouth; stepson Bryan Crable (and Billie Murray) of Ardmore, PA: and stepdaughter Audrey Lorraine (and Dean Anthony) of Fishers, IN. Together the family circle includes twelve grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren with another great-grandson due in June. Ron is also survived by his brother Richard (and Kay) Liechty and his sister Evangeline (and David) Gleason both of South Bend, IN; his sister Carolee (and Howard) Ogburn of Davenport, FL; and his sister-in-law Nancye Fowler of Plymouth, IN, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Ron was preceded in death by a daughter Sheryl Ann Liechty.

Ron’s influence will continue to be felt in the many organizations he helped succeed over the years. He volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club since its inception, where the children called him “Mr. Ping Pong.” He served as president of the Garden Court Board and worked to improve housing for seniors and the developmentally disabled for twenty-two years, overseeing the construction of 10 facilities and adding 197 housing units for the elderly and disadvantaged. He served on the Board of Directors of the Marshall County Historical Society since 1993, and as its president since 2001, guiding the museum’s award-winning expansion. The Community Resource Center, dedicated in 2012, realized a 26-year dream Ron pursued to assist social service agencies. Plymouth’s Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center presented him with the Community Spirit Award in 2000. The Plymouth Chamber of Commerce recognized him with the Distinguished Citizen Award in 2003 and with the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2007. The Marshall County Community Foundation bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. Ron learned in January that he was to receive a second Sagamore of the Wabash award from the Governor, Indiana’s highest civilian honor. Ron once said that his only hobby in life was “helping make things happen.” His legacy serves as proof of a life well spent in that pursuit.

The family asks that memorial contributions be made to First United Church of Christ or to other community organizations through which Ron Liechty invested his life, for example, The Community Resource Center or The Marshall County Historical Society Museum. Such contributions may be made through the Marshall County Community Foundation 2701 N. Michigan St., Plymouth, IN 46563.

Friends may call on Monday, March 16th from 2 – 5 & 6 – 8 p.m. in the Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home 1100 N. Michigan St., Plymouth. Services will be held at First United Church of Christ, 321 North Center Street in Plymouth on Tuesday, March 17th at 11 a.m. Calling will continue at the church after 10 a.m. until time of services. Rev. AnnMarie Kneebone will preside.

Burial will be in the New Oakhill Cemetery, Plymouth.

WE ARE THANKFUL TO RON’S FAMILY FOR SHARING HIS LIFE WITH US…

THE REV. DR. RONALD W. LIECHTY

BORN – July 13, 1933 in South Bend, IN; raised in South Bend by a family operating

Liechty’s Hatchery on South Michigan Street.

EDUCATION – Riley High School (South Bend); graduated l951

-B.A., DePauw University, Greencastle, IN, 1955

-Master of Divinity, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 1960

-Doctor of Ministry, Christian Theological Seminary, 1982

PERSONAL INTERESTS

-Music (high school band and orchestra…percussion; drums with church groups

-tennis (high school and college varsity letters)

-table tennis (played US tournament circuit, >47-51; 1951, Indiana State, Ohio State,

Illinois State, Michigan State and United States Junior Champion; on U.S.

National team to Canada; coach at Boys and Girls Club

FAMILY…

-Wife, Anna; graduate of Bowling Green State U (BS) and Indiana University (MA);

Department Chair of Language Arts Dept. At Plymouth High School (now retired); A published Writer, and National Board Certified Teacher.

-Four Children, one foster daughter and 12 grandchildren (children/spouses have 7

Degrees from Purdue U. .. 3 B.A’s; 2 Master’s and 2 Ph.d.’s) Teach at Villanova and Princeton; 12 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren

VOCATIONAL CHANGE

-Worked in family business

-DePauw degree in Economics with interest in accounting

-Worked at Purdue University in Internal Audit Department (1955)

-Drafted into the US Navy (>55); two years in Air Intelligence Office of the Commander

Fleet Air Wing One//Taiwan Patrol Force in Far East

-Returned home to attend Seminary (>57-60) and career in ministry; Ordained 6/10/60

CONGREGATIONS SERVED…

-Shiloh E.U.B. Church (near Remington, IN); >57-58

-Teegarden E.U.B. Church; >57-58

-Salem E.U.B. Church (Near Granger, IN); >59-65

-Elkhart County Council of Churches (2 time Exec. Dir.); >63-65

-First E.U.B. Church (North Manchester, IN); >65-68

-Dunlap E.U. B. Church; >68-76

-St Andrew United Methodist Church (West Lafayette, IN); >76-80)

-Advance U.C.C. (Advance, IN); >81-83

-First U.C.C. (Plymouth, IN); >83-98

-First U.C.C. (Bremen, (IN); Interim Pastor, 1/1/99-7/16/00

-Zion U.C.C. (Wakarusa, IN); Interim Pastor, 1/1/03-2/21/04

-Grace U.C.C. (Culver, IN), Interim Pastor, 6/6/04-2-8-05)

-First Presbyterian Church (Plymouth, IN), Interim Pastor 2/20-05 – 2/28/09

-Community Presbyterian Church (Rochester, IN), Interim Pastor, 5/09 -4/12 RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES…

-EUB-UN/METH – Conf Bd of Missions; Conf Director of Children=s Work; Conference

Committee for Union of EUB and Methodist Churches

-U.C.C. – Conf Bd of Directors (3 yrs); General Synod Delegate; Association Council (7

Years; President 2 yrs); Pastor’s Circle

-CWS/CROP -County Co-ord for 40 years; Pioneer Hall of Fame -Ministerial Ass’n – Sec’y 6 yrs; President 2 yrs

-United Religious Council – Secy 6 yrs; President 2 yrs

-Bremen Manor -Bd/Dir 6 yrs; Chair, Finance Comm, 2 yrs

-Hospital Volunteer Chaplain – 12 yrs

-Adams Street Ministries – co-founder; Bd/Dir, Treasurer

-Administrative Commission (Presbyterian) 07-06 – 11/09

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IN PLYMOUTH

-Juvenile Detention Task Force

-Representative Payee Program Committee

-RUOK Set-up Committee

-Aging Council (Bd/Dir >86-95; President, 2 yrs)

-Bowen Center Corporate Board (Bd/Dir >87-96; President, >91 and >92)

-Chamber of Commerce (Bd/Dir, >91-97)

-Victim Assistance Program (Founding Board, 4 yrs)

-School Corporation Facilities Committee (Chairperson)

-FEMA (bd/dir, >88-98)

-A Key Communicator= (School long range planning – >2000)

-Crossroads Technology Group (Chair, 9/98-2003)

-Chair, Shady Rest Study Committee for County Commissioners, >2000

-United Way Bd/Dir, >99-00; Allocation Committee >00-08

-Owner-Occupied Housing Rehab Group (Chair, l/l9/05- 06)

-Pride in Plymouth (>02-06 – 10/08)

-Chamber of Commerece, PR Committee (’92 – ’09)

-FREDORA Advisory Comm (Chair, ’98-09)

-LifeLong Learning Network (Vp ’02-07), Chair ’07-’09)

-PIDCO Bd/Directors (l/06-1/11) (VP 1/20/07-09) (Pres 1/28/09-1/27/10)

-PEDC (2007-10)

-Garden Court Bd/dirs. (’88—12), President, (1990-11/27/12)

-Boys/Girls Club (table tennis volunteer, ’96 – 5/13/13)

-Senior Center (Class leader) = 1996-2013

2

CONTINUING COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

-Multi-School Holding Co. (>89- ; President, >91-

-Historical Society (Bd/Dir >93 – ; Vice-Pres, >95->00; President, >01-

-Active Learning Associates (Bd/Dir, secy) -Community Resource Ctr Bd (Pres, 5/08 – -Turning Point Board (3-09 – )

-Arts Council of Mar/Cty (2/09 – ) RECOGNITION

-Sagamore of the Wabash, Governor, State of Indiana; 1998

-Certificate of Appreciation – Marshall County Commissioners; 1998

-Certificate of Appreciation – Plymouth City Council; 1998

-Pioneer Hall of Fame -Indiana Church World Service

-Certificate of Appreciation – Adams Street Ministries; 1998

-Distinguished Service Award – Plymouth Community Schools; 1995

-Community Spirit Award – St Joseph’s Medical Center; 2000

-Pastor Emeritus – First United Church of Christ; 2002

-Distinguished Citizen of the Year – Chamber of Commerce; 2003

-Volunteer of the Year, Chamber of Commerce, 2007 -Lifetime Achievement Award, MCCF, 2013
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