Clemson, SC
Dr. Richard Allan Conover Jr., 88, of Waupaca, WI, husband of Sandra Holz Conover, passed away Thursday, April 9, 2020 at Greenville Memorial Hospital (Greenville, SC).
Richard (Dick) was born in Chicago, Illinois, a son of the late Rachel Laramy and Richard Allan Conover Sr. After he graduated from the University of Michigan, he served as a classroom instructor at Lackland AFB. He worked in traveling sales for several years, and he loved to travel. He married Sandra (Sandy), the love of his life, on October 30, 1965. He returned to grad school, and his passion to teach and his love for our national and state parks grew. He joined the Clemson University faculty in 1974, becoming a Professor in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. He spent many weekends hiking with Sandy and their two children, Tim, and Cindy, in the parks and forests. They were faithful members of Clemson United Methodist Church. Upon retirement from Clemson, he and Sandy moved to Waupaca, Wisconsin in 1995, where they became faithful members of Parfreyville United Methodist Church. Dick taught his children to skipper small sailboats, which was magical to them. He loved the mountains and lakes, and he shared his love of Nature and travel with his family and his students. He was known for his diplomacy, sympathy and consideration for others, well-informed conversation and gentle humor. He never took the kindness of others for granted, and he strove to make the world better.
Surviving in addition to Sandy, his wife of 54 great years, are his son, Timothy Conover of Central, SC; daughter, Cindy Conover Yacek and husband, Henry of Richmond, KY; his grandson, Daniel Yacek; also, sisters-in-law Linda Holz of W. DesMoines, IA, and Nancy Buman of Kiel, WI. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by his brother, Lawrence Conover; his father- and mother-in-law, Harry and Dorothy Holz; and brothers-in-law, Daniel Holz and Jerome Buman.
Memorial Services will be announced at later dates, in the Fall in Clemson and perhaps sooner in Waupaca. A graveside committal service will be held at a later date in Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin. Memorials may be made to the Richard and Sandy Conover Endowed Scholarship within the Clemson University Foundation, or to Parfreyville UMC (Waupaca, WI), or to the National Parks Conservation Association. Visit Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, https://robinsonfuneralhomes.com