Charles “Rich” Ginder (1942 – 2022) passed away on March 20, 2022. He is preceded by his parents: John Ginder and Jean Buttermore Ginder; his siblings, Don Ginder and Ellen Fine; and his wife, Bonnie Thomson Ginder. He is survived by his siblings; John Ginder, and Mary Ginder; his sons, Richard Ginder ( wife Sheri) and Timothy Ginder (wife Joanne); his grandchildren, Tyler Ginder, Ryan Ginder, Anne Ginder, and Patrick Ginder.
Rich was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in the Pittsburgh area until his family moved to Youngstown, Ohio just before high school. During High School, Rich played football in the hot bed of future NFL talent in NE Ohio where he played against future HOF players like Alan Paige and Paul Warfield. He played baseball well enough to get drafted in the minor leagues. He graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown in 1959 which was the 1st graduating class in school history. He graduated with a BA in Accounting from Notre Dame University in 1963. At Notre Dame, Rich played football on the practice squad in a similar manner as portrayed in the movie, Rudy.
His first job out of college was at General Motors which only lasted a period of months before getting drafted in the US Army. After basic training, Rich entered into OCS where he became an officer. He also attended Ranger School and served in the 101st Airborne Division. From September 1966 to August 1967, he served a tour in the Vietnam War where he was called the “Living Legend” from his peers after earning two bronze stars and three purple hearts. Shortly after Vietnam, he married Bonnie Thomson and had two sons, Richard and Timothy in 1968 and 1970.
Rich left the Army within 6 months of the birth of Richard. He entered into the heavy equipment industry. While Bonnie was pregnant with Tim, Rich moved his family to Arizona to work for Lake Shore Equipment. He sold the largest dump truck ever made to an iron ore mine in California. In 1976, Rich with $15,000 along with $15,000 from Dick Murray started Ginco, Inc. which started his career as an entrepreneur. Ginco, Inc. sold mining equipment to coal mines in Raton, NM, Price, UT, Carlsbad, NM, and Carbondale, CO. The company quickly grew until the downturn of the energy sector in the mid-1980’s. Rich made the Who’s Who in business in the early 1980’s.
Rich had a passion for supporting his alma matter, Notre Dame. His classmate was an associate athletic director which got Rich heavily involved with recruiting football players under Coaches Gerry Faust and the legendary Lou Holtz. In 1986, while scouting a player in Boulder, CO, Coach Holtz visited Rich’s house outside of Denver, CO and chatted with his family. Rich was able to recruit future NFL players to Notre Dame. After Coach Holtz resigned, Rich was no longer involved with recruiting, but remained passionate about watching ND football.
In 1992, Rich had an opportunity to work for a heavy equipment manufacturer in Savannah, GA. He instantly became engaged with the community and served as President of the Notre Dame Club. He marched in several St. Patrick’s day parades in Savannah during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rich was a visionary in regards to business and entrepreneurship. In 2000 he founded Fleet Rents which pioneered in renting “Pull Pan” scrapers. In 2001, he founded Low Country Machinery which is a JCB dealership while running Fleet Rents. He eventually got bought out of the ownership of these companies and started another business, Atlantic Coastal Equipment in 2004 also in Savannah. In 2010, he retired from the heavy equipment industry at age 69. In 2015, he moved to Leesburg, FL to be closer to his son, Tim.
Rich has bulldog tenacity to refuse defeat.
Monday, March 28, 2022
9:00 - 11:00 am (Eastern time)
Collison Carey Hand Funeral Home
Monday, March 28, 2022
Starts at 2:00 pm (Eastern time)
Florida National Cemetery
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