Polly Campbell

pcampbell@enquirer.com

When Dick Graeter was in charge of making the ice cream at Graeter's, he added black raspberry to the line, having enjoyed it as a child. When a customer suggested it might be good with chocolate chips in it, he introduced black raspberry chocolate chip, thus creating the most distinctive and most beloved flavor of the most beloved ice cream in Cincinnati.

Mr. Graeter died last week March 18 at his home in Covington. He was 83.

That flavor addition was an innovation for Graeter's, which usually changes slowly; Mr. Graeter himself never liked the flavor, favoring plain vanilla. But the heart of Dick Graeter's tenure as the head of his family's ice cream company was figuring out how to maintain the traditional way of making Graeter's 2 or 2 1/2 gallons at a time.

He worked at the family business from 1959 to 2003, first with his father and uncles, then with his brothers and sister, and finally with his son and nephews.

"He was devoted to the business," said his son Rich, now CEO of Graeter's, "and especially to the quality of the product." Every generation that has owned Graeter's, said Rich, has worked to preserve the core process. His father saw his role partly as custodian of the brand and the legacy, which was founded by his grandfather in 1870. "There's something different about it when your name is on it. The business becomes part of the fiber of your being, it wouldn't dawn on you to do it any other way," said Rich.

Each generation of Graeters have made their own innovations as well. When Dick Graeter took over, the ice cream was still being made in 80-year-old cypress pots. He worked to improve and modernize the equipment without changing the ice cream-making process. Since no other manufacturer had made ice cream the same way for years, there were no machines to buy. He had stainless steel versions of the pots made by a local washing machine company, experimented with Italian gelato makers, and finally began having machines custom-made.

During his tenure, the company opened more stores, took on franchisees in Kentucky and Columbus, and began selling Graeter's in Kroger.

Richard Anton Graeter was born in 1931 to Wilmer and Katherine Hungerland Graeter and grew up in Mariemont. He graduated from Mariemont High School in 1949. He majored in business at The Ohio State University. He served in the Army 11th Airborne Division and was trained as a paratrooper, stationed in Ft. Campbell, Ky. during the Korean war era.

After school, he worked at Gibson Greeting Cards for a few years, not joining the family business because there was too many family members already. He met his wife Joyce Wittrock at Gibson, and they married in 1958. When his grandmother Regina died, and his father, Wilmer, bought his brother Paul out, Mr. Graeter went to work at the family business with his father and brothers Louis and Jon. He began in the bakery, where he developed the cheese crown, still a popular pastry. They set about re-investing in the company.

"He was very demanding. There was only one way: the right way. He never ever cut any corners," said his son. He believed in peeling peaches by hand and chopping Oreos for cookies n' cream with a knife.

"But gruff as he was, he was a kind person." said Rich.

"When I was a kid, he worked 7 days a week, and my sister Cindy and I didn't see him a lot. He was up before the sun rose, came home for dinner, and collapsed early," said Rich. "I really got to know him when I came to Graeter's and worked with him.

"By working together, he became my best friend. I always worked hard to live up to his expectations, and never wanted to let him down."

His daughter Cindy, of Villa Hills, remembered him as a kind father. "He never yelled at me, even when I hit the house with my car three times."

In 2003, Rich and Louis' sons, Bob and Chip, bought the company.

Mr. Graeter's pursuits outside the businesss were often outdoors. He loved to fish, camp, golf and garden. He skied with his family in Northern Michigan into his '80s.

"Life gave him a second chance with grandchildren, and he took it," his son said. "He taught the kids to fish, took them to the zoo, spent a lot of time together, We moved next door to my parents in 2006, and every morning, my daughter bee-lined over to her grandparents house," said Rich.

Mr. Graeter's friend, Bill Wood, gardened with Mr. Graeter in his later years "He loved the garden, trying to figure out how to grow the biggest tomato; and he always had his own ideas as to how things should be done," Wood said. "The first time I took him to McGlasson's farm, he told them they were not planting the plants deep enough and I had to remind him they've been planting 20,000 tomato plants a year for six generations."

Mr. Graeter went back to work after being cured of esophageal cancer 13 years ago, and he had an active retirement. But the last few years, as his kidneys began to fail as a result of chemotherapy for the cancer, were hard on him. "He was a doer," said Rich. He couldn't stand being tired all the time, his son said.

In addition to his son, daughter and wife, Mr. Graeter is survived by a brother, Louis Graeter of Mariemont; sisters Kathy Graeter of Mariemont and Carole Palmer of Boothbay, Maine; and four grandchildren.

A private ceremony has been held. Memorials may be made to The Cure Starts Now Foundation, 20180 Chester Road, Cincinnati, OH, 45215⬛