Richard D. Yunker

Richard Yunker, 94, of Oakfield, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2026, at his home.

He was born September 23, 1931, the sixth of eight children of William and Mary (Holihan) Yunker. (He always wondered what would have happened if his parents stopped after five.)

Richard had a questionable academic start, having to repeat kindergarten, but later excelled-scoring 99% on his Physics Regents exam. That achievement earned him a scholarship that helped cover Cornell University's $600-per-semester tuition. He took a leave of absence from Cornell to serve in the Army during the Korean War, then returned on the GI Bill and graduated from Cornell Law School in 1958.

Except for his brief time in Ithaca and Korea, Richard lived his entire life is his beloved hometown. Oakfield was an ideal place to grow up, full of woods, ponds, railroad tracks and endless opportunities for adventure. He once carried buckets of water from a nearby creek to circus elephants on what is now the Oakfield school grounds. Boy, did they empty those buckets fast!

Richard had a private law practice in Oakfield for almost 50 years, retiring at the age of 75. During his long career, he served as attorney for both the Town of Oakfield and the Oakfield-Alabama School District, Town Justice, Assistant District Attorney, Town Councilman, and on the Board of Directors for Genesee Memorial Hospital, and was a past president of the Genesee County Bar Association.

In his earlier years, he enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, giving it up for safety reasons before the birth of his first child. Richard enjoyed being in nature, whether camping and canoeing when younger, or walking his daughter's yellow labs in later years.

Richard met the love of his life at an Easter Dance at the Sacred Heart Club in Medina in 1958 when a mutual acquaintance asked if he "would like to meet some Medina girls." He uncharacteristically said yes, and the rest was history. From that day on, there could be no one else for either Richard or Lucille. During their courtship, Richard would ride his motorcycle to Medina to pick her up, and then they would ride out to Bennington and dance all night, then back to Medina and finally home to Oakfield in the early morning hours. Richard married Lucille DePalma on October 19, 1963. They had a wonderful marriage, filled with selfless love, kindness, hard work, respect, and humor.

Richard will be remembered for his positive attitude and his jokes. Despite his health challenges, whenever a doctor asked how he was feeling, his answer was always the same. "I feel lucky!" He would then go on to ask if the doctor could fix his trick broken finger. He was proudly named Summit Physical Therapy's Whack-a-Mole Champion in June 2025 in the 90+ age bracket. You couldn't help but be uplifted just being in his presence. His wisdom and kindness only grew as he got older. His family, caregivers, neighbors and many friends will miss him terribly.

Surviving are two daughters, Kathleen (David) Yoder of Corfu and Kristin Yunker of Oakfield; granddaughter Anna (Jeff) Felschow of Elba; his brother, Donald (Joyce)Yunker of Oakfield, sisters-in-law Elizabeth (Duane) Quintern of Florida; Irene Yunker of Batavia and Bonnie Yunker of Florida, and many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his beloved wife, Lucille; his grandson, Matthew Yoder; and his siblings John, Dorothy (Peg) Moldenhauer, Robert, Joan Schrauth, Paul, and William.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 56 Maple Avenue in Oakfield, where Richard once served as an altar boy. He will be laid to rest beside Lucille in St. Cecilia's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Genesee Orleans Ministry of Concern, 29 East State St, Albion, NY 14411.