Richard A. Showalter, 74, of Irwin, Ohio, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family, Saturday evening, December 14, 2019.
He had been very active in visitation in the Tri-County Jail, performing as “Simeon” in the Mechanicsburg Christmas Walk, writing and consulting until just four days before his death from pancreatic cancer.
The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. Friday, December 20, at the Mechanicsburg Christian Fellowship, 4401 Allison Rd, Mechanicsburg, OH.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 21, in the church with Pastor Joey Brown officiating. The family will receive friends for a second viewing from 12:30-2:00 p.m. prior to the service.
Burial will follow in Shiloh Mennonite Church Cemetery, Resaca, Ohio.
All of us at Rosedale International are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear brother, Richard Showalter. We have been praying for him and the family since hearing of his diagnosis earlier this year, and continue to pray during this difficult time of grief. Richard loved Jesus and was dedicated to kingdom work. He will be greatly missed.
We have fond memories of Richard dropping by the office for various reasons. He always had a broad smile and a word of encouragement to offer. Richard had a gentle spirit and yet was infused with energy and fresh ideas.
Richard has gone ahead of us in many ways. He has been a pioneer, apostle, and advocate. He paved the way for many more to be released into the harvest. Richard has been a wonderful example of faithfulness and trust through adversity, and he took every opportunity to point people to Jesus. Richard once wrote, “The image for Christian maturity is not so much ‘growth’ (becoming better and better), as it is ‘belief’ (trusting God more and more).” That is the legacy that Richard is leaving behind: He trusted God more and more and taught many others to do the same.
While we grieve this loss, we also rejoice with all the saints that Richard has been ushered in to God’s presence with a resounding, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)
We trust Jesus to surround the family with his peace in this present sadness, and to be a comforting presence in Richard’s absence.