Aug. 13, 1927 - May 7, 2010SOUTH BEND - Richard R. Flowers, 82, of South Bend, IN, died following an illness at 10:05 p.m. Friday, May 7, 2010, at Fountainview Place in Mishawaka, IN. He was born on August 13, 1927, to the late Floyd and Stella (Bielejewski) in South Bend, IN, and was a lifelong area resident. Along with his parents, one brother, Eugene "Gene" Flowers, also preceded him in death. Mr. Flowers retired on December 1, 1993, from Goshen Sash & Door Company, where he excelled as a sales rep for 28 years. On June 16, 1951, he married Harriet J. Leffel at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in South Bend, IN. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Harriett J. (Leffel) of South Bend, IN; two daughters, Janet (Michael) Pfeil of South Bend, IN, and Gail (Rocky) Pope of Katy, TX; three sons, Steven (Gail) Flowers of South Bend, IN, Richard "Rick" (Christine) Flowers of South Bend, IN, and Dean Flowers of Indianapolis, IN; eight grandchildren, Anthony (Rachel) Chelminiak, Drew Chelminiak, Christopher Chelminiak, Samantha Pfeil, Cori Pope, Brook Pope, Amber Flowers and Craig Flowers; two great-grandchildren, Ella and Evan Chelminiak; a sister, Elizabeth Urban; and sister-in-law, Patricia Flowers. Dick was a longtime member or Corpus Christi Parish and American Legion Post #50. He was an All-Conference quarterback at South Bend Central High School and received a football scholarship from Northwestern University. While there, Dick played on Northwestern University's only winning Rose Bowl team in 1949 and later went on to set several school passing records. After college, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, rising to the rank of captain. After serving during the Korean War, Dick was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and later traded to the Baltimore Colts. Since then, he has been a member of the Players Association of the NFL and the South Bend Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association, serving as an organizer of its many charitable events. An avid golfer and bowler, he enjoyed playing both with his many friends. Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, 2010, in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN, where a parish Rosary will be prayed at 4:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 13, 2010, at Corpus Christi Church, with Rev. Daryl Rybicki officiating. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, where military services will be conducted. Memorial contributions may be made to Corpus Christi Catholic Church, 2822 Corpus Christi Drive, South Bend, IN 46628; to The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc., 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637; or to Reins of Life, 55200 Quince Road, South Bend, IN 46619. To send condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com - An exclusive provider for St. Joseph County Veterans and Family Memorial Care.