Services are at 10:00 am Monday, December 23, 2024 in the First Methodist Church Eldorado. Graveside Services will follow.
December 1, 2024, the first Sunday of Advent when Christians everywhere celebrate Jesus’ message of hope, love and joy, Richard was in ICU at Shannon Hospital.
The first words he spoke to Jill, his wife of 55 years, were, “ Take me home.”
On Friday, December 20, 2024, God took him Home.
If the first words God asked Richard were, “ Did you reflect the Light of My Life on your walk here in the world?”
Riichard could have honestly and simply replied, “Yes.”
He reflected hope when he became a Prayer Warrior. In 2011 , he suffered a major heart attack. Soon after his recovery, everyday out in the field, he would keep a “geographical’ list of people needing prayer and offer those to the Lord.
He reflected love by the presence and well wishes of not only everyone here today, but all those who have reached out to the family, and those who have prayed for him.
Richard reflected hope, love, and joy when playing neighborhood tag football and growing up in Eldorado to develop lasting friendships.
Joy with his ASU Ram basketball players when they played number 1 ranked Trinity University and won 98-76 .Hope. Love. And joy of being a Ram led by Coach Phil George.
Joy with his co-workers at the Co-OP playing ping-pong or football during their lunch hour.Joy with the countless amount of friends playing baseball and softball.
Hope. Love. And Joy when hunting , fishing , or just hanging out together, with his sons Trey and Hunter.
Joy when he and his sisters, Libby and Vicki would get to ride with big brother Pat to the Drive-In movie.
Joy when his afternoon calls would reach out to so many especially to Trey, Angela, Thomas,( T) and Lily. To Hunter and Carla ( Carlita). Or to Pat , Janice, and Libby. Or to Jack and Shelley, and to Vicki and Kip. Or to his many nieces and nephews who loved “ Uncle Tree”. ( By the way, Tree, we’re going to miss your calls.)
Tree was an avid caller to those needing to hear hope during the ravages of Covid. He found and gave so much joy and love when friends and family -young and old- would come by for Happy Hour.
Love, Hope, and Joy were very evident in the help of the creation of Jim Holley’s Men’s Breakfast. He didn’t particularly enjoy the early morning hours as he got older, but he sure enjoyed the meal, the fellowship, and the strong faith of these prayer warriors. Keep it up guys!
Such a special type of hope, love, and joy when he would walk into church nearly every Sunday morning and listen to Lynn practice. And hope, love, and joy when Richard would worship his Lord and Savior with his church family.
Tree found love, hope, and joy at the touch of Jill’s hand on his forehead.
She received all three when he was able to recite Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, many Scripture verses, and ending with the Priestly Benediction, even though he was terribly ill.
Richard embraced the heart of the Christmas story: God’s profound love for all of us. Yes, his parents , Dick and Dale, and his in laws Charlie and Lib, son George Austin, and brother-in-law Johnny would have been proud of this high school and college athlete who became a faithful, Christian warrior.
Thank You Heavenly Father. Because of Your gift of Your Son, Jesus, we will all see Richard again!
