Richard Vandemark Sr (1951 - 2004)

Born 20 Apr 1951 in Albany, Albany, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 24 Dec 2004 at age 53 in Wysox Township, Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Police investigating fatal shooting of former Northern Tier Bruins player By James Loewenstein and Patrick Abdalla 12/26/2004 Daily Review

WYALUSING - A former Bruins football player was fatally shot Christmas Eve at a residence in Wyalusing Township, Pennsylvania State Police reported. An investigation into the shooting of Richard VanDeMark, 53, that occurred approximately 5:20 p.m. Friday on Beacon Hill Road continues, according to police. Terry Clark, a friend of the VanDeMark, said the victim suffered the wound in the garage before he entered the house and collapsed. The house is the residence of VanDeMark's girlfriend Cheryl O'Neil, Clark said. VanDeMark played for the Northern Tier Bruins, a semi-professional football team in Bradford County, according to Clark. Last season, VanDeMark, at 52, was the oldest member of the team. Clark said VanDeMark, who owned and operated motorcycles, used O'Neil's garage as a workshop. VanDeMark operated equipment such as bulldozers and backhoes at construction sites, according to Clark, and had also operated equipment at coal mines. VanDeMark was the father of three children, Richard Jr., Kristie Johnson, and Cheyenne. At least two police cars were at the residence Friday night, where police tape was hung between the garage and house and police declared the yard a crime scene. A man outside the home Saturday, who did not identify himself, said the family did not want to talk to anyone. A woman later Saturday evening - who identified herself as a relative of VanDeMark - said the death was sudden and shocking and the family had not been taking it well - but were coping. She reported the death was still under investigation pending an autopsy. Clark said VanDeMark is a Wysox resident but spends a lot of time at O'Neil's home. Fred Wheaton, the on-call District Magistrate this weekend, said late Saturday evening he had not been notified of any charges pending. An emergency medical helicopter landed near the scene to transport VanDeMark to a hospital, but according to a fire official at the scene, it was not used. When first responders were originally called out, they were sent on state Route 187 in Wyalusing Township toward Quick Bend for an accidental gunshot wound to the chest. Route 187 is not located in Wyalusing Township. Minutes later, responders were given directions to the home on Beacon Hill Road. Circumstances surrounding the dispatch directions remained unclear Saturday. State police said no new information was available late Saturday evening. Submitted by Carol Brotzman

Shooting inquiry continues in Bradford County By: James Loewenstein 12/27/2004 Daily Review Police have recovered the weapon that killed Wysox resident Richard VanDeMark Sr. Friday according to a woman who said she was VanDeMark's daughter. The weapon was a rifle owned by VanDeMark, which he used for hunting, said the woman, who was contacted at the home of VanDeMark's son, and who identified herself as Kristie Johnson. "The police are waiting to determine if the shooting was accidental or a homicide, pending the outcome of an autopsy," the woman said Sunday evening. VanDeMark, 53, suffered a fatal gunshot wound Friday afternoon at a Beacon Hill Road residence in Wyalusing Township, state police said. The residence is the home of VanDeMark's girlfriend, Cheryl O'Neil. An autopsy conducted at the Lehigh Valley Medical Center revealed that VanDeMark died of a gunshot wound to the chest, state police said in a press release issued Sunday. Police said they are continuing to investigate the shooting and that forensic tests are going to be completed on the evidence. The woman who identified herself as Kristie Johnson said that police said they are questioning someone connected to the case, but have not yet determined whether the shooting was a homicide. Johnson declined to say who the police were questioning. The shooting was initially reported over the police scanner late Friday afternoon as an accidental shooting to the chest. Someone had told authorities at the time that VanDeMark had fallen onto a gun, according to a report on the scanner Friday afternoon. No further information was available about the case from state police on Sunday night. VanDeMark had played for the Northern Tier Bruins football team during its inaugural season in 2003, but did not play for the team during its 2004 season, said Chris McLaud, president of the Bruins. "It's really unusual for someone that age to play organized football," McLaud said. The Bruins are a semi-professional football team. When ambulance personnel and police were initially summoned to a shooting at the O'Neil residence, there was confusion as to where the residence was located. Emergency responders were initially given confusing directions to the shooting by the person who reported it, said Karin Niemeyer, Bradford County 911 coordinator. "We were given multiple locations" from the person who reported the shooting, Niemeyer said. "There was some confusion from the caller as to where they were. When you get multiple locations, you do the best you can." It was a number of minutes before the correct address of the shooting -- Beacon Hill Road in Wyalusing Township -- was broadcast by a Bradford County 911 dispatcher to emergency responders. The correct address was first broadcast at 5:25 p.m. Niemeyer declined to say when a 911 dispatcher first began broadcasting the incorrect directions, saying the state police were still investigating the shooting and therefore she could not provide information on the case. To provide information on the case could "compromise an open investigation," Niemeyer said. Initially, a Bradford County 911 dispatcher told emergency responders that the shooting was at the following location: "Wyalusing Township, Route 187, seven-tenths of a mile south of Quick Bend." State Route 187 does not run through Wyalusing Township. VanDeMark died later Friday evening at Memorial Hospital in Towanda, according to his obituaryCoroner:

Victim was shot once BY JAMES LOEWENSTEIN 12/28/2004 Daily Review, Police have yet to determine whether the Christmas Eve shooting death of Richard VanDeMark Sr., 53, of Wysox was accidental, a homicide or a suicide, Bradford County Coroner Gordon Farr said Monday. Farr said he pronounced VanDeMark dead at 7:03 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 24, at Memorial Hospital in Towanda. The cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Farr. He said police were still investigating the circumstances of the shooting. An autopsy was performed at Lehigh Valley Hospital at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Farr said. Forensic tests on evidence from the shooting will probably take three to four weeks to complete, he added. They include tests for the presence of gunpowder and other residue on VanDeMark's clothing and tests on the gun that is believed to have killed him, Farr said. VanDeMark suffered the fatal gunshot wound at the home of his fiancée, Cheryl O'Neil, on Beacon Hill Road in Wyalusing Township. The gun that killed VanDeMark was his own hunting rifle, according to a woman identifying herself as his daughter, Kristie Johnson. Initial reports over the police scanner on Friday indicated the shooting was accidental and that VanDeMark had fallen onto a gun. VanDeMark was shot around 5:20 p.m., according to state police. On Sunday, the woman identifying herself as VanDeMark's daughter said police were questioning someone connected to the case, but declined to say who it was. State police declined Monday to comment further about any aspect of their investigation. No charges had been filed in the case as of Monday, according to District Justice Fred Wheaton's office. Submitted by Carol Brotzman

Richard “Rick” VanDEMARK, Sr., 53, - 1/6/2005 Richard “Rick” VanDeMark, Sr., 53, of Towanda RR6, Wysox Township, PA, died on Friday evening, Dec. 24, 2004 at Memorial Hospital in Towanda. Born April 20, 1951 in Albany, NY, he was the son of the late Raymond VanDeMark and Edith “Edie” Galloway VanDeMark. Rick was a graduate of Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, Class of 1969. He moved to the Wyalusing area in 1970 and consistently worked as a butcher and heavy-equipment operator. Rick was well-known for his love of Harley Davidson motorcycles, the Dallas Cowboys football team and most recently, the Northern Tier Bruins football team. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, whether it be fishing, riding four-wheelers, shooting guns or attending his grandson, Garrett's sporting events. He always had a funny story to share about something they did. Rick possessed an array of friends and will be sadly missed by all.

Surviving are his son, Richard VanDeMark, Jr. and his wife, Marie; his daughter, Kristie Johnson and Richard and Kristie's mother, Beverly; his daughter, Cheyenne VanDeMark and her mother, Norma; two grandsons, Garrett and Christopher; his fiancée, Cheryl O'Neil and her daughter, Missy; his brothers, Ellery and David VanDeMark; his sisters, Carol Franklin, Phyllis Seamon, Neta Repsher, Cathy Lee, Neva Pond and Audrey Kelley; a special cousin, Justin VanDeMark and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Eleanor Salsman and a special cousin, Lonnie VanDeMark.

The family received friends on Tuesday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Maryott-Bowen Funeral Home, 217 York Ave., Towanda. The funeral services were held on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, with Rev. Thomas Blackall, officiating. Interment followed in Bradford County Memorial Park, Luthers Mills. The family suggests that memorial contributions be directed to the Towanda Youth Wrestling Club, in care of Jass Sheets, RR6, Towanda, PA 18848 in Richard VanDeMark, Sr.'s memory. Submitted by Carol Brotzman.

Sources

• Find A Grave Index

Name Richard Vandemark Sr Event Type Burial Event Date 2004 Event Place Towanda, Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States of America Photograph Included Yes Birth Date 1951 Death Date 2004 Affiliate Record Identifier 102445022 Cemetery Bradford County Memorial Park Citing this Record

"Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLB-X8DK : accessed 2 December 2015), Richard Vandemark Sr, 2004; Burial, Towanda, Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Bradford County Memorial Park; citing record ID 102445022, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.