Mr. Richard Dale “Rick” Weales, age 77, of Vevay, Indiana, passed away at 8:52 p.m., Monday, February 3, 2025, at the Norton Clark Memorial Health in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He was born on March 27th, 1947, to Dale Sullivan Weales and Lucille Smith Weales. He was raised in the Canaan/Pleasant area and was a 1965 graduate of Madison Consolidated High School. Rick then graduated in 1969 from Indiana State University. In 1967, he was united in marriage to Cheri Taflinger. To this union, they were blessed with a son, Jeff, and a daughter, Jennifer. Rick and Cheri moved to Vevay in 1969 when he began his teaching and coaching career at Switzerland County High School. He taught Math, PE, and Drivers Ed. plus coached baseball, boys and girls basketball, volleyball, and track in his 33-year career for the Pacers. He was a member of the Switzerland County Athletics Hall of Fame and a longtime member of Brushy Fork Baptist Church. In 1995, Rick was blessed with his first grandchild, which started one of his favorite life journeys. Ali, Bailee, Sydney, Neveah, Calvin, and Crosby were his pride and joy. He got to follow them to all their sporting and school events. This even caused him to change colors and was a volunteer assistant girls basketball coach at Rising Sun High School and kept stats for the Lady Shiner Softball team. Papa was able to see Ali and Bailee get married and watched Sydney get her medical school white coat. We know that he will be watching Calvin and Crosby when their big life events occur because he never missed anything and usually had a video camera to document everything. He was known by many for his frugal nature, his couponing, always wanting to get a good deal, always being right (especially when it came to arguing with officials), but to our family he was best known for stalking them on his find my friends app because he worried about them and for the way he loved us all.
Rick is survived by his wife of 57 years, Cheri (he left a note saying she has been his angel all of the years); his son, Jeff (Sally) Weales of Vail, AZ; his daughter, Jennifer (Noel) Bostic of Aurora, IN; his grandchildren, Ali (Jake), Bailee (Matt), Sydney, Calvin and Crosby; his sister, Jane Fairall of Cincinnati, OH; his sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Karen Weales of Columbus, IN, Linda Horlander of Jeffersonville, IN and Mark and Cathy Taflinger of Jeffersonville, IN; his cousins, Kenny (Sharon) Smith, Mary Jane (Tom) Rogers, Kathy Ellegood, Randall (June) Weales, and Gail Sooy; many nieces, nephews, friends (that were like family), former students and former players.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dale Sullivan Weales and Lucille Smith Weales; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bud and Jeanne Taflinger; his brother, Robert “Bob” Weales; his granddaughter, Nevaeh Grayce Weales; and many special friends, all of whom were waiting to welcome him home.
Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Celebration of Life Service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home, 208 Ferry Street, Vevay, Indiana 47043.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Switzerland County Pacer Varsity Club. Cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.haskellandmorrison.com