Richard Lee DeView

Richard Lee “Dick” DeView a lifelong resident of Cadillac, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Wrights AFC in Manton with his family by his side. Richard was 91. He was born on January 29, 1935, in Cadillac to Julian A. & Lila V. (Merklinger) DeView. Dick married the former Elizabeth Jean Spoor on March 17, 1973, in Carson City, Nevada. Liz preceded him in death on May 16, 2013. Richard answered the call to duty in the U.S. Army from December 1954 to December 1956. After his basic training in Fort Riley, Kansas, and before being sent overseas, he was assigned as the personal driver for General George Beishline. He was attached to the Headquarters Battery, 43 AAA Battalion, 10th Division after basic training and while on deployment in Erlangen, Germany. While in Germany he was a heavy wrecker driver in the Headquarters Battery. Following his time in the military, he began a long career in law enforcement. Dick began his time in law enforcement with the Cadillac City Police Department in 1956 and retired from the Wexford County Sheriff’s Department as Lieutenant/Jail Administrator in 1996, forty years later. Richard also lived in Belmont, California for a short period of time. While there, he served as a special deputy with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department and a patrolman with the Bel-Carlos Patrol. He also worked as an assistant construction superintendent with Equity Funding Development Corporation of America. He loved his family and friends without exception. Dick had a small piece of property “Out in the middle of nowhere” that rarely saw a summer day without a friend or a family member enjoying it as much as he did. He also invested about thirty-five years searching for his family roots and putting together (with a lot of help) the DeView/Merklinger family trees. Dick is survived by his sons: Richard E. (Holly) DeView, Ryan “Mitch” Deview of Cadillac, and his daughter, Marney M. DeView of Jackson, Michigan. Grandchildren: Kyle, Hannah, Mary, and Leah. Also, grandson Blair “BJ” McNitt; great grandchildren: Addison and Kayson DeView. In addition to his parents and wife Dick was preceded in death by a brother, Harry A. DeView and two sisters: Marjorie I. Kenyon-Demute and Rosemary A. Bowers-Grandy. Memorial services will be held 11:00 AM Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Peterson Funeral & Cremation Services in Cadillac with Pastor Marc Hicks officiating and full military rites under the auspices of the Cadillac Area Honor Guard. His final resting place will be Maple Hill Cemetery in Cadillac. An online guestbook is available at www.petersonfh.com.

Richard Lee DeView

January 29, 1935 - July 1, 2026