By Deborah Larsen
Richard Joseph “Dick” Serrell
Richard Joseph “Dick” Serrell was born in Rochester, Michigan, on February 17, 1920, the son of Grant and Hazel Heitsch Serrell. He attended Rochester High School and graduated in the class of 1938. After high school, Dick was employed at Pontiac Motors.
In October 1941, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was assigned to an ordnance company, where he served as a tank mechanic. Dick was sent overseas in January 1944 and landed at Normandy on the third day of the D-Day invasion. Richard was released from military service in September 1945.
After the war, Dick married, started a family, and worked as a district manager for Pontiac Motors. The Serrells moved to Virginia in 1964, where Dick operated a Lincoln-Mercury auto dealership until his retirement in 1975.
Richard Joseph Serrell died at age 61 on July 29, 1981, and was laid to rest in Harrisonburg, Virginia.