Richard Marlo Christman

Richard Marlo Christman, age 76, passed away suddenly but peacefully with his wife by his side on August 4, 2026, in Hinsdale, IL. He is survived by his wife, Patricia (Malazdrewicz) Christman; brother Tom and sisters Jaigne and Karla; children Laura, Amanda (Kramer), Christa, Danielle, Brittany (Haverstock), Janessa, Anthony, and Steven; and grandchildren Slade, Jetlyn, Anthem, Aurora, Halle, James, Aiden, and Loretta.

Richard lived an immensely full and generous life, marked by his love and devotion to his family, a curiosity and passion for lifelong learning, humor, compassion, and a sense of adventure.

Born in 1950 to Raymond and Vivian (Tetzlaff), Rich grew up in St Louis, Missouri, within what he described as a middle class family where money always felt tight. His experiences and family values from childhood through to college formed the basis for how he valued discipline, persistence, education, and service to others as key to a meaningful, successful life.

As a kid, Rich focused on his schooling and worked the summers to earn money by cutting grass, working in a cold storage warehouse, and giving piano lessons (however, the piano lessons only lasted one summer). He was an active Boy Scout, earning 56 merit badges and other honours, and attaining the Eagle rank by age 13. He was proud to represent the Boy Scouts in accepting the key to a new scouting headquarters in St Louis, another trip to Camp Philmont in Arizona, and the World Jamboree in Idaho. Richard remarked later in life that Boy Scouts gave him the chance to explore many different subjects and form his earliest leadership experience.

When Rich entered his college years, he found ways to continue his social and leadership interactions. Attending Rose Holman Institute of Technology, he joined a fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, which he credits to being a focal point in his social and life development, and where he formed friendships that lasted his entire life. Rich knew he wanted to complete his engineering degree as he was always good at math and science, and he had been influenced by a family friend who had his own successful career as an engineer and executive.

Tuition to college was around $1,500 at the time, which was expensive for his family, but he made it work, with a General Motors scholarship, summers working at GM Delco Remy in Indiana, and part-time work on campus as a student assistant teacher. Not yet 20, Rich was savvy in how he approached the value of a dollar and his own capabilities, so he took double overloads the entire first year of college because extra classes did not cost any more to take! After four years, he completed his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, graduating cum laude in 1972. In his senior year of college, he married his first wife, Edie, and they had two daughters, Laura and Amanda, following his completion of grad school.

Rich started his career at Ford Motor Company on a two-year training program in Dearborn, Michigan. He knew he did not wish to work as an engineer forever, so he started on his MBA at the University of Michigan through night school soon after joining Ford and completed his master’s degree in 1975.

Straight after grad school, Rich started with Case Corporation (now Case New Holland Industrial) in a two-year graduate training program, and within six months he was offered a full-time job. He went on to spend 30 years with the company (1975-2005) working mostly from Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, with stints abroad. He held many management positions with Case over the years, including retail enterprises, parts operations, sales and marketing, strategy and business development, supply chain, and general management in both North America and Europe. Rich played key roles in both the IPO and formation of Case New Holland.

During his time at Case, Rich joined the board at Carthage College as a trustee in 1993, where he served up until he transitioned to become trustee emeritus in 2026, after 33 years on the board. Richard spoke frequently and fondly of his involvement with Carthage College and was proud of the work he and other trustees and donors were involved with.

Rich also served on the board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers in the late 1990s to early 2000s, where he served as Vice-Chairman of Agriculture and then as Chairman . He was proud to lead and work alongside others from the agriculture equipment sector.

Richard married Patricia in 2001, and with this, extended his life to also include Patricia’s six children from a previous marriage: Christa, Danielle, Brittany, Janessa, Anthony, and Steven. After Richard retired from Case in 2005, the family relocated to Decatur, Illinois, where he served as CEO of Grain Systems Inc. (GSI), the world’s largest manufacturer of farm storage equipment, until the company sold in 2007.

He and Patricia travelled the world together, always off to a new country where they would experience new sights, food, culture, and learn the history of people and places. Richard was often happiest when planning and taking trips with Patricia; this in many ways illustrated how he fully embraced life, taking in the world for all it had to share and teach. Richard had a goal to visit 100 countries across all seven continents. He got very close to this goal, travelling to more than 90 and touching all continents with the exception of Antarctica.

While Rich formally retired in 2006, those who knew him well can attest to the fact that he needed to stay in motion and keep a sense of purpose to stay happy.

He spent the 20 years that followed his retirement serving on boards of several companies including Giant Impact LLC, CVT Corp, Mazer Group Ltd, and working alongside and mentoring his friend and former Case colleague, Mathew Vachaparampil, at Caresoft Global where Rich served as Chairman.

In 2012, after many years of Midwestern winters, Richard and Patricia bought a second home in Naples, Florida. Together, they spent October to May each year enjoying the Gulf Coast sunshine and new restaurants with visits from family and friends. Richard enjoyed playing a round of golf with neighbours and friends, or to go out and play a few holes by himself on the course surrounding their home whenever the mood struck him.

Rich will be remembered as a husband, father, grandfather, and friend who lived his life in the present, who made choices with intention, pursued the things that mattered most to him and relished new experiences. Richard’s life serves as a roadmap for those closest to him, teaching them that a good life—a great life—should be lived with passion, joy, humor, integrity and generosity. He lived and led by the motto, “if it is to be, it’s up to me.”

In Rich’s own words, “I tried to live life to the fullest and be B+ in many things rather than an A in a few. My personal mission statement was, ‘helping quality people and organizations reach their full potential.’ I never believed in being a step-father, only just a dad, papa, or Richard.”

In lieu of flowers, Richard’s wishes were to consider a donation to the Christman Family Scholarship Fund at Carthage College, helping to carry on his belief that education is the key to opening many doors in life.