Richard A. Pavela, 75, of Kenosha, passed away peacefully at his residence on Friday, July 22, 2011, surrounded by his family, after fighting emphysema for over 14 years. Born in LaCrosse, WI, on April 6, 1936, he was the son of the late Richard F. and Virginia H. (Ebner) Pavela. He was educated in the schools of LaCrosse and moved to Kenosha in 1960. He served in the United States Marine Corps in San Diego, CA. On May 2, 1959, he married Diane Willis in Galesville, WI. He had been employed for 31 years by American Motors/Chrysler Corp, retiring in 1991. Richard was a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, U.S. Marine Corps Club, UAW Local 72, and the Moose Lodge in Zion, IL. He was also a former member of the North Side Happy Hour Club. He loved to hunt deer and fish often with his son, Trent, and his father-in-law, Paul Willis. Keeping his yard beautiful was one of his hobbies. Richard and Diane traveled many places in the United States, even after his illness, and they also had a tradition of celebrating their anniversary watching the Kentucky Derby in several places in the United States, which included their 50th Anniversary with their family. Richard is survived by his wife, Diane of Kenosha; four children, Tracy (Mike) Platt of Medford, WI, Teri (Richard) Iverson of Rib Lake, WI, Trent (Deede) Pavela of Milwaukee, and Toni (Ched) Ballard of Pleasant Prairie; a sister, Virginia (Dave) Armstrong of Milwaukee; a sister-in-law, Laurie Pavela of LaCrosse, WI; and his ten grandchildren, Dallas and Eric Platt, Zackary Iverson, Sonya, Kayla and Jenna Pavela, and McKenna, Kylee, Kerigann and Cole Ballard. He was preceded in death by a brother, Joseph Pavela; and his mother and father-in-law, Gertrude and Paul Willis. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, July 27th, at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Sunset Ridge Memorial Park. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 26th, at Proko Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Wednesday at the church from 10:30 a.m. until the time of the Mass.Proko Funeral Home & Crematory5111-60th StreetKenosha, WI 53144Phone: (262) 654-3533Visit Richard’s Online Memorial Book at:www.prokofuneralhome.com