Dr. Richard Joseph Giever

World War II veteran, Dr. Richard Joseph Giever, passed away on June 1st, 2020. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Richard was born October 11th, 1927 in Spaulding, Nebraska to Dr. John B. and Thelma (Smith) Giever. He joined his brother, Jack, and sister, Eileen, in completing the family. He attended Spaulding Academy until he finished high school. He graduated early and, at the age of seventeen, joined the Navy which he loved. During WWII, he served as a pharmacist mate on the USS Calvert and the USS Mount McKinley. After the war, he enrolled in medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. While there, mutual friends set him up on a blind date with a lovely Irish girl named Mary Margaret Ryan. He literally fell for her when he arrived during a snowstorm and they both fell down the icy steps. They married eight months later on August 7th, 1950. Theirs was a love story that lasted for 60 years until Mary Margaret’s death in 2010. They married while Richard was still in medical school. During that time, they had two children, Kathleen Mary, and Richard Joseph Jr. in Omaha. After Richard graduated with his Medical Doctorate degree, they moved to Powell, Wyoming where he had his first practice. While in Powell, they had two daughters – Kristin Celeste and Kyla Marie. They also lost two daughters soon after their births. They moved from Powell in 1961 and he began a practice in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Their son, Paul Michael, was born there in 1963. Ever adventuresome, Richard and Mary Margaret moved from Las Cruces in 1965 and landed in Weiser, Idaho where Richard had the Family Practice Group until he retired in 1992. Their final child, Karen Ann, was born in 1966. Richard was a family physician and surgeon. He had a very busy practice, delivering over 500 babies during his 27 years in Weiser. After his retirement in 1992, Richard and Mary Margaret moved having homes in Eagle and then in Boise. We always felt that move was to be closer to the mall for mom. Richard loved making things. He enjoyed wood working, crossword puzzles, books, stained glass, and traveling. He thrived on sailing and boating. Our vacations were mainly to lakes in Idaho and Oregon. He loved Wallowa Lake in Oregon where we had reunions every year. Being with his family and attending his Catholic Church made him the happiest. He called his children every day just to check in and make sure everything was okay. He loved his local Catholic Church, Holy Apostles, and greatly enjoyed his conversations there with his coffee group (Charlie, Jo, Dick, Patty, Mary, Marge, Jim, Emma, etc.). and his priest, Father Len MacMillan. He relished doing Adoration at the chapel there as well. He was a regular at five o’clock mass each Saturday and attended daily mass until he was not able to physically attend. For the last six years, he lived at his daughter, Kristin’s, home and passed away peacefully there. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Margaret, his parents, two daughters, his brother and sister, his son-in-law, Pete Skow, and his grandson, Joseph Dickerson. He is survived by his family who will ever miss him. The family wants to thank all his friends who regularly kept in touch with him. We want to also thank Exceptional Care Givers and St. Luke’s Hospice care for their wonderful treatment of dad. We especially want to thank Father Len MacMillan and Dr. Gretchen Kohler and Dr. Bryan Drake for their kindness and friendship. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Corpus Christi House at 525 S. Americana Blvd., Boise, Idaho 83702, to Holy Apostles Catholic Church at 6300 N. Meridian Road, Meridian, Idaho 83646 or to a charity of your choice. Dr. Giever's private Funeral Mass will be livestreamed for friends on Thursday, June 4th at 11:00 A.M. at: https://www.facebook.com/holyapostles.church/live_videos/