Richard Allen Balke, 80, of Beverly Hills, Florida passed away on September 27, 2026.

Richard was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 15, 1946 to Thomas and Wilma (Larsen) Balke. He was raised in Highland Park, Illinois by Thomas and Dorothy Balke. He graduated from Deerfield High School and attended University of Illinois Chicago. He married the love of his life, Deborah Ann Dunmire on February 14, 1970 in Highland Park, Illinois.

Rich worked as a software engineer for many years, retiring in 2015 and relocated from Illinois to Florida.

Rich was a tall man with a huge heart and loved living his life to the fullest, always surrounded by his friends and family.

Rich was an avid bowler and bowled on several different leagues, several days a week. He attended the USBC National Bowling tournament, and was very proud of his 30 consecutive years bowling in the tournament.

Rich also had a love for motorcycling. He traveled throughout the US with his wife on the back, visiting National Parks and seeing the sights. He was a member of the STAR Touring & Riding, Chapter 193 out of Woodstock, Illinois.

Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas, Wilma, and Dorothy, and a brother, Dennis Balke.

Rich is survived by his wife of 56 years, Deborah; his sister, Linda Coulson (Bob) of Palm Coast, Florida; his brother, Phil Balke (Mary) of Bozeman, Montana; and his children, Christina Duffy of Crystal Lake, Illinois, and Sean Balke (Stacy) of Kissimmee, Florida.

He is also survived by his grandchildren, Dylan Duffy and Harley Duffy; his great-grandson, Adrian Duffy, who will carry his memory forward; as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.