Richard George Wangrow, 88, passed away on December 31, 2021 in Mequon, WI. While remaining in good health through most of his life, in the last few years he battled with Alzheimer's disease and, at the very end, prostate cancer. Despite these struggles, he remained caring and supportive of his family until the very last days of his life. Richard was born on June 1, 1933 to Henry and Nettie Wangrow in Chicago, IL, and was the second youngest of six sons. His family faced economic struggles during his childhood, with Richard and his younger brother Harry living in an orphanage for a number of years. With the support of his older brothers and his mother, Richard and his brother were able to move back with his mother in the early 1940s. After finishing high school, he began a career that spanned 40 years. Despite not attending college, most of Richard's career was as an information systems analyst – a field that now requires a college degree. For most of his career, Richard worked for FMC/Link Belt in the Chicago area. His ability to learn in a new field, strong work ethic, and attention to detail fostered many contributions during his career. After his retirement, Richard was very involved with the First United Methodist Church of Glen Ellyn, IL, serving on its finance committee for many years. Richard and his first wife, Irene, had a son, Paul, who lives in Chicago, IL. Richard married his second wife, Janet (nee Wissmiller), on December 20, 1975. Shortly thereafter, he adopted Janet's son, David, from her first marriage. Richard was very supportive of his family, which grew over time. David married Laura (nee Jordan) in 1986 and they had two daughters, Allison and Michelle. David and Laura currently reside in Mequon, WI. Richard is survived by: Janet, Paul, David, two granddaughters, and one great grandson. One granddaughter, Allison, resides in Palatine, IL with her husband Troy DeMien. The other granddaughter, Michelle Braithwaite, resides in Milwaukee, WI with her husband Kyle Braithwaite and their son Nolan Braithwaite. Richard was a passionate fan of Chicago sports teams. He and his brothers were season ticketholders for Chicago Bears games from the early 1950s until 1971. Sharing these games with his brothers, especially the 1963 NFL championship game, were among some of Richard's fondest memories. Richard would also proudly state that he had attended at least one Chicago Cubs game since 1941 and strongly supported the team through its many struggles and eventual triumph in 2016. After retirement, Richard attended many sporting events, including the Major League Baseball playoffs, NFC championship game, and the Super Bowl. Richard and his wife Janet also shared a great love for travel. They traveled often and visited many countries in Europe and Asia, as well as many parts of the United States. Together, they gained a wonderful perspective of history and different cultures. However, Richard's greatest passion and love was for his family. He was always there for his family and felt that was his greatest calling in life. Whether providing words of encouragement, watching his granddaughters when they were very young, hosting family for holidays, or just offering his great smile his family knew that he was there for them. There is little doubt that the foundations of love for his family was his love of his brothers and his modest beginnings. From these foundations, he instilled in his family an appreciation for everything they have and the people around them. In lieu of flowers, please consider charitable contributions to one or more of the following organizations: the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry (https://www.glenellynfoodpantry.org/), the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/research), and the American Association for Cancer Research (https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/).