In loving memory of
Richard Kanaga

• October 12, 1946
• -
• December 21, 2023

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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, brother, Papa, and Grandpa. Richard (Rick) Kent Kanaga, Jr. went to be with the Lord with family by his side on December 21, 2023, at the Lake Nona Veterans Administration Hospital in Orlando, FL where he had been hospitalized for 27 days with COVID. It is because of God’s amazing grace that we have the promise of being reunited again with him when God decides to take us “home” when our time on earth has ended.

Rick was born October 12, 1946, in Battle Creek, Michigan, the son of Richard ‘Kent’ Kanaga Sr. and Phyllis (Reeves) Kanaga Wagner who both preceded him in death. He graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1964. During his childhood, their family spent summers at Sherman Lake near Augusta, MI where he enjoyed swimming, diving, and water skiing. He continued his love of swimming throughout his entire life and spent a lot of time in his pool. To experience the many Florida rivers and lakes, both Atlantic and Pacific oceans and off several Caribbean islands, he became a certified diver along with his wife and son.

After returning home from the army in 1968 as a Vietnam Veteran, Rick earned a BS degree in business and marketing at Florida State University in 1972 and continued to be an avid Seminole football fan throughout his life. It was that year in Tallahassee where his son, Ryan, was born. After graduating from FSU, he was a district sales representative for Kellogg’s Cereal out of Battle Creek in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan. As an Eagle Scout through the Boy’s Scouts of America (BSA), he used his skills and background to become a Boy Scout leader for his son’s BSA troops and then a District Executive for the Chief Okemos Council in Lansing, MI for several years. Rick also chaperoned four different contingency groups to the BSA Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimmaron, NM over the years where he found great satisfaction in hiking the mountain trails and getting up at dawn to get the campfires going for breakfast. After his BSA career, he moved on to the Sports Illustrated Racquetball Club in Fort Wayne, IN as the club administrator and manager. His career then led him to the fundraising industry with schools and The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls all over the north, central and southern United States.

On October 15, 1981, Rick married the love of his life, Meridythe (Smith) Kanaga, whom he had met in Lansing, MI and started their blended family life together with his son, Ryan, and her daughter, Heather. Their careers eventually brought them back to Florida where he dearly loved the weather and settled in Altamonte Springs. In 1985, Meridythe And Rick Kanaga, started their business together as Mark Management as a full-service property management company that consisted of multi-family communities, single family homes, and homeowner’s associations. Out of that business developed an insurance agency with their son, Ryan, who is still running the business today as the owner. Rick and Meridythe worked side by side for 37 years in the management and insurance business until retirement and had built their own office building in 2005 known as Hunt Club Business Center in Apopka, FL. Rick also was a founding member of Central Florida Realty Investors Association and continued his involvement in the association for many years as a leader and mentor to many young and novice investors.

As members of Journey Christian Church and former members of the Apopka Calvery Church of the Nazarene in Apopka, Rick and Meridythe were able to lead several groups of students through the Crown Financial Ministry and the Dave Ramsey Financial Freedom University classes. He was thrilled to help students work through their budgets, so they could become debt free and become good stewards of God’s money. He always said these were the best Bible studies a person could ever experience.

With three of his grandchildren living close by, you would find him attending their soccer, volleyball, and baseball games. Rick became very involved in Little League baseball with his grandson, Zachary, as a coach and volunteer for the teams. He was so proud of Zachary that their regular one-on-one practicing paid off as he pitched a no hitter game during the state finals as the lead pitcher. Both Kelsey and Abby played in club volleyball with Abby going on to play on the women’s volleyball team in Norwich University in Northfield, VT. Rick watched all her games virtually and kept a running record of her stats. In October of this year, Rick and Meridythe were able to attend two of her volleyball games in Boston and Norwich while they were on a month’s vacation visiting family and friends. In June 2022 he was able to witness the milestone of his first granddaughter, Kelsey, getting married.

Another thing that Rick loved was doing some carpentry work. He would build whatever box, cubby hole, shelf, work bench, tool bench organizer that would make his garage so organized that everything had its place. He enjoyed doing these projects with his in-laws while they spent their winters in Florida. Zachary was happy to learn these skills from “Papa” and together recently completed two work benches for Ryan’s shed.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Meridythe, of 42 years and two children, Ryan (Tina) Kanaga, Apopka, FL and Heather Nelson, Lansing, MI and his five grandchildren, Kelsey (Terry) Robinson, El Paso, TX, Abby Kanaga and Zachary Kanaga, Apopka, FL, Victoria Nelson, Van Nuys, CA, and Hazen Nelson, East Lansing, MI. Rick is also survived by a brother, Kim (Patty) Kanaga, Battle Creek, MI with their children Jeremy (Kari) Kanaga, Battle Creek, MI and Kyle (Caroline) Kanaga, Seattle, WA, and Rick’s sister Kris (Steve) Golyar, Tucson, AZ with their children Sara (Dave) Dominguez and Jason Golyar, Tucson, AZ. He is also survived by a sister-in-law Phyllis (Gary) Franklin, Willcox, AZ and brother-in-law Roger (Pam) Smith, Williamston, MI. With this family comes 16 nieces and nephews and 18 grand nieces and nephews that lovingly called him Uncle Rick.

There will be a private family graveside service at the Battle Creek Memorial Park, Battle Creek, MI in late April 2024 where he will be buried next to his father and mother.