Richard "Corky" Eppler

Corky passed away peacefully on February 9, 2013 at the age of 70. Born in Pennsylvania, he moved to San Francisco at the age of 2. The family later moved to Petaluma where Corky attended Petaluma High School before joining the Navy, serving during Vietnam from 1964 to 1967 aboard the USS Perkins. Corky later settled in Santa Rosa where he worked at Hewlett-Packard for over 20 years running the facilities central plant. Family and friends will remember Corky as laid-back with a good sense of humor. His engaging nature came through most often when he told stories of his raucous youth. While in high school, Corky was a member of the Pacer of Petaluma, a hot rod club that raced at a drag strip in Cotati. His love of hot rods stayed with him throughout his life. Two of Corky's favorite activities were attending the drag races at Sears Point and classic car shows. He also collected Hot Rod magazine for over 40 years and loved to tinker with cars. Corky will be greatly missed by those who knew him and loved him. He is survived by his wife, Ellen Eppler, and his daughter, Marie Eppler, daughter of Corky and Julie Lewis Dyer. In addition, to his wife and daughter, Corky is also survived by three stepchildren, Joel, Scooter, and Susan; eight step grandchildren and two step great grandchildren. His family would like to thank the wonderful staffs at Sutter Medical Center in Santa Rosa , Spring Lake Village and Sutter Care At Home for the exemplary care they provided immediately prior to Corky's passing. No services are planned per Corky's request. The family prefer memorials be made to Sutter Care at Home, 1110 N. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401.