Richard “Rick” German, a civil servant, alpaca farmer, and Frederick County 4-H leader, died of heart-related issues at Frederick Health Hospital on Oct. 14. The Mount Airy resident was 63.
Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. German was the son of the late William German, a Maryland state employee who helped oversee road maintenance, and the late Ellen German, who worked for the Montgomery County Board of Education.
Mr. German graduated from Damascus High School, where he played football in 1980, before joining the Air Force. An airman, he served from 1980 to 1984 and was stationed in Colorado.
He met his wife of 40 years, Lisa, while he was stationed in Colorado. They married in 1985 in Burtonsville and later moved to Germantown, where they lived for 15 years.
Mr. German worked at NASA for about two years before moving to a job as an electrician at the Department of Energy for 10 years. His favorite part of the job was working in the same building as his wife, according to a daughter, Krystal McHenka. He also worked at the Old Soldiers Home in Washington, D.C., for about five years as an electrical supervisor. Highlights of that job included golf lessons from President Jimmy Carter and meeting actor Arnold Schwarzenegger while he filmed a movie there.
For 15 years, he worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury Bureau of Engraving and Printing. He liked telling people he made money, his daughters said.
He also worked as the building manager for Tri-County Baptist Church and was a devoted volunteer.
Mr. German was co-owner of Whispering Meadows Alpaca Breeders in Mount Airy, which he owned and operated with his wife for more than 20 years. He also led the Alpha Alpaca 4-H Club, which the Maryland Alpaca Breeders Association said was the largest alpaca club in the state. Known to club members as “Mr. Rick,” he was known for encouraging each youth member, ranging in age from 5 to 18, to reach their full potential, even if it meant they were pushed a bit out of their comfort zone.
One of his daughters, Tiffany German, said that if a child was struggling with their alpaca, he would remain calm and supportive. “He’s one that could stay calm in a storm,” she said.
Julie Odland, of Frederick, met Mr. German about 12 years ago when her children joined the alpaca club. She served as the club’s co-leader with him and recalled his larger-than-life personality. “He had a way of getting kids to be successful that, just … mystified me,” she said.
Mr. German taught kids how to train alpacas on an obstacle course, showmanship skills and about alpaca anatomy. He would also lead children in community service efforts.The 4-H kids adored him and would bake Mr. German snickerdoodle cookies, his favorite treat, for holidays and his birthday.
On Nov. 8-9, the 4-H club members will show alpacas at the Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds. They’ll dress up with their alpacas and join a parade, carrying on Mr. German’s legacy and demonstrating the impact he had on all who knew him.
Friends and family say Mr. German will be remembered for his big personality, talkative nature, his sense of humor —he would eat anything for money, they said— and commitment to his church and his faith.
Surviving Mr. German, in addition to his wife Lisa (Nixon) German, are two daughters, Tiffany German, of Mount Airy, and Krystal McHenka, of Westminster; grandchildren Dodge, Shane and Ella; two brothers, Robert, of Adamstown, and Ronald, of Frederick; seven nieces; and two nephews.
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