Obituary

Richard “Dick” L. Custenborder, age 88, passed away at home Friday, November 11, 2022. Dick was born on April 13, 1934, in Bristol, Connecticut to the late Clarence and Vera Custenborder. He was proceeded in death by his parents, sister Betty (Custenborder) Weeks and niece DeeDee Weeks. Dick leaves behind his loving wife of 65 years Myrna (Weichhand) and 3 children Steve (Mary), Kelli Grimes (Gregg), Scott and 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He loved his family, Ohio State athletics and his beloved Centerville Elks. He spent his time going to his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events and rarely missed games.

Dick was a proud graduate of Oakwood High School, class of 1953 where he played football, basketball, and golf. He was diagnosed with polio as a junior, but continued to play on the golf team his senior year. He was a natural athlete whose life revolved around sports.

Dick was a 1957 graduate of the Central Academy of Commercial Art in Cincinnati. Dick began his career in advertising at Weber Geiger and Kalat and finished his career at Willis Case Harwood as Vice President and Senior Art Director.

Dick and Myrna moved to Centerville in 1960 and he became a loyal, dedicated, and passionate follower of Centerville Athletics. It wasn’t enough just being a fan, he wanted to be involved in coaching where he could impact the lives of young people. He coached the Pee Wee Elks football team for 10 years. It was in those early days on the 80-yard field at the activity center that the Centerville Elks dynasty began. Following that, Dick saw a need for a feeder program for the high school basketball program. He handpicked a middle school team that would travel to play at the Dayton Boys Club. The teams faced better competition and were exposed to a wide variety of players with different backgrounds. For 48 years, almost five decades, Dick was a member of the Centerville Elks football chain gang.

In 2009, Dick’s crowning moment was being inducted into the Centerville High School Hall of Fame in the "Support Person" category. This was his proudest achievement, it was a culmination of his unwavering love, devotion, and commitment to Centerville Athletics. The current Centerville Athletic Director said, “Centerville wouldn’t be what it is today without guys like Dick”.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 20, 2022 from 1 pm - 2 pm at Newcomer Centerville Chapel (820 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd., Dayton, OH 45459). We encourage you to join us for a memorial service beginning at 2 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Centerville High School Athletic Boosters (Centerville, OH), please designate the monies go to sports participation fees for students in financial need. Also, other donations can be made to ProMedica Hospice.