Richard Esiline

Richard A. Esiline, age 88, of Gladwin, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2026. He was born on October 17, 1937, the son of Earl and Alice (MacDermid) Esiline in Detroit. On December 5, 1959, he married Linda Zelt and together they shared 66 years filled with love and cherished memories.

On October 28, 1954, Richard joined the United States Army. In October 1955 he was deployed in Korea and came home in April of 1957. Richard was discharged on October 25, 1957. In 1975, Richard joined the National Guard and was later discharged in 1993. Following his service, Richard went on to work at Brown Machine in the tooling and testing department for 37 years, until his retirement in 2001.

Richard was a man who liked routines, he was very neat and always had a schedule. He enjoyed euchre, big trucks, and going out for coffee and lunch. After his retirement, Richard and Linda traveled frequently, visiting every state except for Alaska. Richard was an attentive grandfather and was always supporting his grandchildren throughout their sports endeavors.

He is survived by his wife: Linda; children: Tim (Cindy) Esiline, Tammy (Dave) Mawhorter, and Trent (Michell) Esiline; grandchildren: Kevin (Nichole) Schultz, Kristin (Jayc) Schultz, Charlotte Mawhorter, Kayla Mielke, Brittney (Brian) Roggow, Blake (Kaitlyn) Roggow, Brandon (Tyler) Roggow, Tiffany (Zac) Eagly, and Tom Esiline; 6 great-grandchildren; sister: Margaret VanEver; sister-in-law: Aldena Esiline; life-long friend: Rollin Greer; along with several nieces, nephews, and other extended family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents; Earl and Alice; brothers: Don, Joe, and Bobby Esiline; and sister: Pat Beckwith.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026 at 11:00 A.M. at Hall-Kokotovich Funeral Home in Gladwin. Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. until the time of service. Visitation will also be held on Thursday, February 12, 2026 from 3:00-8:00 P.M. at Hall-Kokotovich Funeral Home in Gladwin. He will be laid to rest at Ridge Cemetery in Gladwin. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can me made to the American Lung Cancer Association or Cancer Association. Arrangements are in the care of Hall-Kokotovich Funeral Home. www.hallkokotovichfuneralhome.com