Richard Howard Hilken

Richard Howard Hilken 87, of Alexander, passed away peacefully on April 30th, 2022, at Premier Genesee Nursing Home, surrounded by his family. Born in Batavia, New York on March 19th, 1935, he was the only son of Howard Hilken & Mabel (Galliford) Hilken. He attended & graduated Alexander Central School & was a lifelong resident of Genesee County. Richard was employed at Batavia Metal Products, as a machinist for 40 years, until his retirement. Richard was a talented percussionist. In high school, he played percussion in the Alexander High School Marching Band & later enjoyed playing the drums in a local Rock-n-Roll band. He performed concerts, playing his drums for many years, spreading joy & entertainment to the people, in establishments throughout Genesee County. Richard was a remarkable father/grandfather; unselfishly devoted to his children & grandchildren. He was a hard worker, a great provider, kind, thoughtful, caring, polite, a true gentleman, intelligent, humorous & a loving family man. His hobbies/interests included watching old classic movies & TV shows & enjoyed listening to classical music & Dixieland jazz. He loved spending time with his children & grandchildren, frequently dining out at local restaurant's, his favorite being Miss Batavia Diner. During his later years, he grew a fondness for all animals & enjoyed the company of his cats & dogs. He regularly donated to animal charities. He will be forever loved, forever missed & forever remembered. Richard is survived by his sister Nancy (Hilken) Sustic, daughter Dawn (Peter Niemann) Hilken & son Frederick (Vicki Matlack) Hilken, grandsons Christian Hilken & Alexander Hilken, nieces & nephews, cousins, as well as Vincent Sotir & Lia Sotir, siblings of Christian & Alexander. Services will be held at H.E. Turner Funeral Home, 403 East Main Street in Batavia, New York. Family & friends are invited to call on Friday, May 6th 2022 between 2 & 4 p.m. After which, a service will be held & he will then be laid to rest at Grand View Cemetery. Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to your local animal shelter or ASPCA. Please leave a condolence, share a story or light a candle at www.bataviafuneralhomes.com .