Richard James Sudkamp

APEX– Richard James Sudkamp, 80, passed away May 16, 2023. Richard was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was the son of the late Richard Sudkamp, Sr., and Mary (McLain) Sudkamp. Richard is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Louise Terrell.

Richard is survived by his loving wife, Kristin Sudkamp; daughter, Kimberly Sudkamp; son, Robert Sudkamp; and granddaughter, Evelyn Engel.

Richard attended Millikin University for Engineering (1963), Michigan Technological University for Electrical Engineering (1966), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to participate in the NCteach program (2004).

Richard met the love of his life, Kris, while at a Halloween party in 1982. He was dressed as a doctor, and Kris as Kermit the frog. Though it took a while to get her number, they eventually dated and married within the year. Together, they had 2 children.

Richard will be fondly remembered for many things, one of which is his relationship with his Granddaughter, Evelyn. Evelyn will soon be a big sister and plans to teach her sibling the “Richard Sudkamp '' dance and the importance of a snazzy pair of suspenders. Evelyn and her Grandpa loved to be silly and dance together, making up the most ridiculous moves for a smile. Above all, Richard’s biggest love was his wife, Kris Sudkamp. He always wanted the best for her and claimed that his life began when he met her. This October would have been their 40th wedding anniversary.

Since a small child Richard was passionate about electronics and followed his passion throughout his life. Richard could talk your ear off about Amature Radio. Another passion of his was travel. He was widely traveled both globally and within the United States. Some of his favorite places included Paris, Sydney, Singapore, Iceland, and Hawaii. Experiences were important to Richard and he wanted to help provide those for others. Richard Sudkamp supported a program in which he helped sponsor children to be able to go to summer camp. He felt passionately about this and would buy items for the kids throughout the year. Each child was given all the materials needed and a scholarship to attend a weeklong camp. It was a way for them to experience camp without the financial burden on their families.

A memorial service will be held at Apex United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 17 at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to “Meals on Wheels of Wake County”.

Condolences may be made to the family at bryan-leefuneralhome.com