Richard Allen Caverly was born on September 18,1931 in Royal Oak, Michigan.  He was welcomed into a very loving and hard working family.  His father, Lawrence “Cal” Cavelry, owned his own construction business.  His mother, Theresa McMillan Cavelry, was a dedicated mother and homemaker.  Together, Richard’s parents created a home where they played as hard as they worked.  

Richard grew up in the country with his eight siblings: Hugh, Larry, Thomas, Michael, James, Ruthann, Nancy and Daniel.  Together the children were a large, adventurous and tight-knit group.  Richard was a very healthy and very active boy.  He attended St. Michael’s Catholic School and was the very first eighth grade class to graduate.

Richard entered the US Army at the age of 17 on January 8, 1949. During his time as a Sargent he was a POW in Korea for 3 years.  On October 22, 1953 he received his Honorable Discharge from the service. After his military career had ended, Richard resumed his career as an Operating Engineer in the construction industry.  

One evening Richard went to a drive in restaurant in Michigan.  While at the restaurant, he met Sandra J. Schlik.  It was love at first sight.  The two were married just 3 short weeks later.  Their first ceremony was held on September 4, 1954 at a Justice of the Peace in Indiana.  The following week they were married at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Oak Park, Michigan.  James and Marge Cavelry witnessed their marriage.  

Richard and Sandy moved into an apartment on Wanda Street in Detroit for about three months.  They made their next move to the home they would raise their family in at 10 1/2 Mile Road (now Civic Center Drive) in Southfield, MI.  

The couple filled their home with a large family.  Together, they had seven children but sadly, one child died early in life.  Richard and Sandra raised Denise, David, John, Cathy, James and Robert in their Southfield home.  They settled into family life and Richard was a hard working father who made sure Sandy and the children were taken care of no matter what.  

Working long hours in the construction field was taxing.  Richard would even plow snow for days at a time to help make ends meet.  Despite the ups and downs throughout the years, his love and support never wavered.  His motto was, “ if you play like a big boy, you get up like a big boy and go to work.”  

He passed his strong work ethic on to his children.  When the kids were little, Richard would sometimes find himself responsible for settling them down at bedtime.  The children remember he would holler up the stairs, “Do you want me to come up there?”  If they lingered too long in bed in the morning he would say, “Are you going to sleep all day?  Get up and rattle those pots and pans.”  When traveling with the kids in the car, he even used the popular, “Do you want me to stop this car and come back there?”  

Through the years Richard made time to enjoy his life.  He played softball with his family and in a church league.  He spent time fishing, hunting and skating with his brothers, especially Thomas.  Later in life he developed a great interest in golf.  He would golf as many as four to five times a week.  He loved to participate in golf tournaments with his family and friends in Florida.  He was thrilled when he got the chance to play with his sons and grandchildren, especially George, Justin and Christopher.  

Vacations are always a part of the Cavelry family life.  When the children were little, Richard and Sandy would load up the six kids in the station wagon and trailer and hit the road.  Sometimes they would camp at one of the lakes in Michigan and other times they would drive as far as Florida.  Richard and Sandy traveled alone later in life.  They went on an Alaskan cruise where they saw the sites and then boarded a train and traveled across Canada to Vancouver before returning home.  They visited all the islands in Hawaii, including Pearl Harbor and even saw Don Ho.  They spent time in Las Vegas, New Orleans and various spots in Florida.  They went on local road trips but also visited numerous states to see their family, attend Veteran reunions or catch up with army buddies from the war. Through his travels, Richard enjoyed the many occasions where he would go to colleges and speak of his experiences from the Korean War. He spoke about the days of being a POW, his service time and was always amazed by the interest those students had in his story.

Richard’s greatest joy in life was his family.  He cherished his life-long love and partner, Sandy.  He loved and cared for his children.  He adored his 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.  He will be remembered for his strength and his commitment to his family.  

Richard Allen Cavalry passed away at the age of 84 on January 15, 2016.  He was predeceased by his parents, Lawrence & Theresa Cavalry and his brothers, Larry, Thomas, Michael, James and Daniel. He was the dearest brother of Hugh (Emmy) Caverly, Nancy (Ron) Belardinelli and Ruthann Carroll.  He was the beloved husband of Sandra.  He was the loving father of daughters, Denise Hurt of TX, Cathy (George) Marko of KS and sons, David (Patrice) Caverly of MI, John (Wendy) Caverly of AL, James (Rick) Caverly of MI and Robert (Lisa) Caverly of MI He was the proud grandfather of Christopher Jorgenson, Tyler Jorgenson, George (Sarah) Marko, Justin (Karen) Caverly, Rachel Hurt, Jazmin Caverly, John, Jr. (Amy) Caverly, Kaylyn (Nathan) Gaulin, Lorann Caverly, Jessica Caverly and Christopher Caverly.  He was the great grandfather of Blake, Jozlin, Tanner, Makayla,  Blake Gaulin, Grant and Mason

Richard’s life will be celebrated on Friday, January 22, 2016 at 10am at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in the Rotunda Chapel.  Memorial contributions may be made in Richard’s memory to the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA), KWVA Webmaster P.O. Box 407, Charleston, IL 61920-0407.