Richard Mahlon Griest, 78, of Nashville, TN, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, April 9, 2026, at his residence. Born August 9, 1947 in State College, PA, he was a son of the late Edward M. Griest and Betty J. (Miller) Glenny.
He is survived by three siblings, Susan Griest Truss and husband, William, of Nyack, NY, Donald A. Griest and wife, Denise, of Blandon, PA, and Thomas E. Griest and wife, Laura, of Orange, CT; and nieces and nephews, Erik Truss, Kathryn Dannehy, Michael Griest, and Kristen Griest. He also enjoyed life-long friendships with Joe Dick, Kevin O’Hara, Andy Slater, Harold Paul, Greg Mueller, and others.
Richard was a 1965 graduate of Corning-Painted Post West High School, Painted Post, NY. After, he attended Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering.
He entered into the U.S. Army on February 4, 1971, and served as a manufacturing engineer at Picatinny Arsenal, Wharton, NJ, during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged on February 1, 1974, attaining the rank of Specialist 5, and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Army Sharpshooter Badge.
Richard was employed as a manufacturing engineer for General Electric in Schenectady, NY and Charlottesville, VA; and later worked in their Medical Systems in Milwaukee, WI. Most recently, he was employed by a consulting firm in automation manufacturing processes.
He enjoyed anything with an element of danger or adventure: skydiving; flying light aircraft with friends over Keuka Lake or to visit relatives; and setting off fireworks, only one of which involved a trip to the ER. A memorable adventure of which he was very proud was canoeing the entire length of the Penobscot (ME) River’s rapids with friends. He spent many hours tinkering with computers or anything mechanical, researching current events in depth; and was never afraid to express his opinions. He loved playing tricks on friends and family, once re-programming a video game to favor his own moves, much to the consternation of his young nephew! He was generous and cared deeply for his family, even building an intricate doll house from a kit for his niece.
Friends will be received from 9:00 A.M. until the hour of service on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the John B. Brown Funeral Home, 417 Washington Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 2nd, at the funeral home, with the Reverend Patricia Shope officiating. Interment with military honors accorded will follow in Mooresville Cemetery, Petersburg, PA.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in remembrance of Richard M. Griest may be made to Soldiers’ Angels, 1355 Central Pkwy S #700, San Antonio, TX 78232 or by visiting their website, www.soldiersangels.org.
To sign an online guest book and express condolences, visit www.johnbbrownfuneralhome.com.
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This obituary was published by John B. Brown Funeral Home, Inc..
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