Hello! I am Al, one of two younger brothers of Richard. I am # 2 of a four sibling family. I have known Richard all my life! In our adult lives, we have always lived great distances apart, so we have not seen each other on a frequent basis.
FAMILY: Richard yearned for the family life. Looking through the photo collage, you can see family is a very prominent theme. With 3 girls and 5 grandchildren (twins among them), he had plenty of family to put spark in his and their lives. Viewing these photos was also good for me, as I had a chance to get caught up with his family. How handsome and cleaned up he looked in his nice black suit for his daughter’s wedding. He was also environmentally aware, concerned with the sun rays on his bald head, so he always wore a hat! He would gladly point out how gray my hair is, but at least I could say I have hair! Sibling rivalry can span years and years, but I am glad he returned to his roots, seeing us 3 siblings just recently on a grand tour.
HIS LIKES: Richard loved reading. I'll admit, had I been able to read as well as he, I would have done much better in school. I remember as a teenager, his love of reading the whole series of Ian Fleming - James Bond books. And now, he rarely finds a book from the library that he doesn’t like. His love of cars and mechanics were a big part of his life - a standout star in high school auto shop class, formed the basis for his mechanic skill. He and I love seeing “show quality” preserved vehicles, so I was thrilled when he gave me his “everyday use” car for my 18th birthday, as he was in Vietnam at the time and in no need of a vehicle. As a carpenter, a truck was an essential part of his vehicle line-up, he was especially proud of his first new truck - a 1970 Ford pickupl He never lost that vehicle pride, as he was very proud of even his most recent truck purchase. Late in life he chose square dancing as a new like, and with it came the normal accompanying western wear apparel as one of his favorites. He also loved working on puzzles and was always working on his latest, some to be framed as pictures.
ADMIRATIONS: There were many things I admired about him, not the least is his carpentry skills and ability to build his own home. Perhaps skills he learned while with the SEABEES (the construction battalion) during his 4 year NAVY hitch, which included two tours to Vietnam. He was skilled in all aspects of carpentry, and after years of experience, moved into finishing carpentry work, which requires fine craftsmanship, a trademark Richard excelled at. However, that line of work finally wore his body down in mid life, so he chose another career field - that of utility tower installation and maintenance, which required a full year of schooling. Upon graduation, he worked in several different states during his utility career. More recently, the majority of work for him was in North Dakota. Another thing I admired about Richard, was he kept up with cousins and relatives. Mom came from a family of 9 kids, so there were plenty of cousins.
We only get one life, and Richard lived a good, full life. Unfortunately, 69 1/2 is too young to pass on. Rest in peace Richard, and God Bless his family and extended family.
Al Gray
