Skip to main content

J. Richard 'Dick' Varnau

J. Richard "Dick" Varnau, 89, of Sun City West, AZ, and a former resident of Huntington, IN, died Friday, Oct. 21, 2011, at Hospice of Arizona.

Mr. Varnau was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. He farmed in Kokomo, Tipton County and Portland and sold life insurance for Business Men's Assurance. In 1973, he moved to Huntington, where he owned and operated The Bottle Works and The Emporium. He retired in 1989 and moved to Sun City West, where he was a member of our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and worked in maintenance for the parish for five years. He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Knights of Columbus.

He was born Nov. 25, 1921, in Kokomo to John P. and Bertha Hardebeck Varnau. He married Joan Gall on Nov. 7, 1946. His wife survives.

Additional survivors include two daughters, Judy (Dave) Mohl, of Sun City Center, FL, and Patricia (Doug) Stephen, of Boulder, CO; three sons, John (Carolyn) Varnau, of San Juan Capistrano, CA; David (Donna) Varnau, of Edmonds, WA; and Nick (Roxanne) Varnau, of Wolcottville; two sisters, Joan Hellman, of Avon, and Margie Reagan, of Fishers; three brothers, Wilbur Varnau, of Wickenburg, AZ; Tom Varnau, of Highland; and Mark Varnau, of Carmel; five grandchildren, Heather Varnau Aiken, Jennifer Varnau Gilkison, Adam Varnau, Gregory Varnau and Sarah Varnau; and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Sun City West, AZ. Interment, with military honors, will take place later that day at Sunland Memorial Park, Sun City, AZ.

Mr. Varnau donated his brain and body to the Banner Sun Health Research Institute for research on Parkinson's Disease.

Preferred memorials are gifts to the Sun Health Foundation for Parkinson's research, PO Box 2015, Sun City, AZ 85372.

Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary and Cremation Center, Sun City, AZ, was in charge of arrangements.