NEW ULM–Richard J. Franz, 87, of New Ulm MN, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the New Ulm Medical Center.

Richard Joseph Franz was born on February 8, 1938, in Hartford, Connecticut, to Richard and Theresa (Viering) Franz. He was born with an intellectual disability and Hemophilia B, but he lived his life with humor, curiosity, and joy.

Richard adored cats–especially his soulmate cat, Olivia Kitty. He participated in the Special Olympics in New Hampshire, where he proudly won a silver medal. In 2007, “Uncle Richard’s Special Olympics Fishing Tournament” was held in his honor in Hawaii, started by his nephew Kenton, a commercial fisherman.

Richard loved holidays and celebrations of all kinds. He delighted in receiving cards in the mail, dressing up for costume events, and predicting–always with uncanny accuracy–the exact day of the week on which future holidays and birthdays would fall.

He also loved good food–especially French fries–and looked forward every October to pumpkin ice cream. Every birthday cake, in his view, needed to be decorated with red roses.

Richard is survived by his sister, Rosemary Franz Geer of New Ulm; niece, Olivia (Cesare) Tise of Austin, Texas, who also provided loving care over the years; great-niece, Celia Tise; nephew, Kenton R. Geer of Kona, Hawaii; great-niece, Vera Geer; great-nephew, Kanyon Geer; and other relatives in New England and Germany.

He was preceded in death by his parents. After their passing, he lived with his sister and her family, who loved, cared for, and enjoyed him so much.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held in New Ulm in February 2026.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Adaptive Recreational Services (ARS), 600 N. German St., New Ulm, MN 56073–an organization providing recreational opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities.

Minnesota Valley Funeral Homes of New Ulm are assisting the family with arrangements.

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