Richard "Jerry" Davis Craver

Richard “Jerry” Davis Craver, 80, of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, went to his heavenly home suddenly on October 18, 2014. He once stated that if he had a boring obituary, then he would rather have none at all.

Born September 3, 1934, in Montgomery, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Jesse Campbell and Kathryn (Mann) Craver. In fact, Richard was fond of pointing out that his mother was a Mann before she got married.

Richard was a graduate of Montgomery High School and West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery, West Virginia (now part of West Virginia University), where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. While in college, he worked as a D.J. at the local radio station. He served honorably in the U.S. Army in the 4 ^th Armored Division in Nuremberg, Germany, for two years at the same time as Elvis Presley.

Richard was an Insurance Executive for more than 30 years with The Hartford and Maryland Casualty Insurance Companies. While at Maryland Casualty, he served as President of the First Eagle Federal Credit Union. He later worked as a Mortgage Underwriter at Philadelphia Mortgage Company and as an Insurance Instructor for Russ Schools in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

He was a member of Grace Baptist Church, in Muncy, Pennsylvania, and volunteered as a Lacrosse Coach for the Parks and Recreation Council in Fallston, Maryland. A proud patriot and conservative, Richard was a member of The Republican Party, the local Tea Party, and the National Rifle Association. Richard proudly displayed the badges of his political views on his car. When his ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ sticker and fender were vandalized in a Philadelphia parking lot, a defiant Richard wryly blamed “Obama’s thugs” and refused to remove the remains of the decal.

Richard was a passionate, loyal “Mountaineer” fan, which was evident to all who knew him. The morning of his passing found him eagerly engaged in preparations for a full day of college-football-viewing, to include arraying his Mountaineer apparel. Richard generally donned the WVU blue and gold, especially on game days. No doubt, he viewed the WVU upset of Baylor that day from the best seat in Heaven.

Among his favorite expressions were: “I thought I made a mistake once, but that was a mistake”; “Water rusts your stomach”; “Take a dog leg to the right”; as well as “Orange juice is a breakfast drink!” On occasion, he was known to label his own label-maker, laminate anything and everything, and kept more files than J. Edgar Hoover. He often bragged of his foreign-language prowess. While stationed in Germany, Richard learned how to say “Ein Bier, bitte!” His hero was Rush Limbaugh.

This year, Richard celebrated 28 years of marriage with Noreen Lynne Durant, known alternatively by his family and friends as his “young bimbo” or “teenage bride.” Surviving in addition to his wife are: a daughter, Lori Snyder, of Bel Air, Maryland; a step-son, Kurt Schmitt (Lara), of Muncy, Pennsylvania; a brother, Ret. Lt. Col. Jesse Campbell Craver, Jr., U.S. Air Force (Martha), of San Antonio, TX; five grandchildren, Ashley and Ryan Snyder, and Jasmine, Charles, and Autumn Schmitt; and three nieces, Kathryn Craver, Diane Donoghue, and Frances Miller.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his son, Thomas Scott Craver, in 1994.

Richard’s outrageous sense of humor, kindness, and generosity will be missed by all who knew and loved him. He was one in a million. Only the federal budget deficit has a larger ratio.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 8 ^th , at Grace Baptist Church, 5471 Clarkstown Road, Muncy, Pennsylvania. The service will be conducted by Pastor Charles Teffeteller.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to The ALS Association at www.alsa.org or mailed to Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 6051, Albert Lea, MN 56007.