Obituaries

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John Clement Richard died January 15, 2025 at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Plano following a battle with a rare skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma. He was 79 years old.

John lived to fly. Born March 8, 1945 in Chester, Pennsylvania, he was the third child of Charles S. Richard and Juanita Ruth Keller Richard. Growing up in North Plainfield, New Jersey, he was the playful baby brother of Charles L. Richard and Beatrice Allen. He started flying in high school, joining the Civil Air Patrol and startling his sister when he flew low over their home.

After graduating from North Plainfield High School in 1963, John attended Wichita State University in Kansas, majoring in Economics. He graduated in 1967, earning his commission to the United States Air Force through the university’s Air Force ROTC program. John also earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University in 1973, and he worked briefly as a stock broker for Merrill Lynch. 

While in college, he met and married his wife, Kathryn Ann Richard (née Johnson). The couple were eventually blessed with two daughters, Christa Allison and Kimberly Elizabeth.

Following college, John began pilot training at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma, flying the T-37, T-38, T-41. He served in the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970. While based at Da Nang Air Base, he flew the F-4E for 206 combat missions. Later, he flew the C-141 out of Maguire Air Force Base in New Jersey.

As an Air Force Academy Liaison Officer, John enjoyed working with aspiring pilots who were as passionate about flying as he was. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of Major after serving six years on active duty and fourteen years in the Air Force Reserves. During his military career, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 9 Oak leaf clusters.

John’s commercial airline career began with Braniff International Airways, a job that would require the family to move from New Jersey to Dallas. He also flew for Orion Air (UPS) and American Trans Air (ATA), piloting the 727, L-1011, and 737. During Operation Desert Storm, ATA had a special contract to fly military personnel and John flew troops in and out of Saudia Arabia.

After retiring from the airlines in 2005, John became a simulator instructor at FlightSafety International, instructing pilots from around the world in the G-200 program for 19 years. While at FlightSafety, he was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, an honor that recognizes pilots who have practiced safe flight operations continuously for 50 or more years during the course of their aviation careers.

Raised Lutheran, John was an active member of Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church. He loved the Voyager small group; the Sanctuary Choir, of which his daughter Kimberly is an active member; the pipe organ and helping his wife with the many church receptions she organized. He treasured Spring Park, his neighborhood, and was a block representative for decades. Many neighbors could count on seeing John jog and power-walk throughout Spring Park when he wasn’t flying. During the summer, he looked forward to grilling hamburgers at the neighborhood’s Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day cookouts. Every Sunday morning, he read the comics. His lifelong favorite was Peanuts, especially Snoopy as a World War I flying ace.

Although he logged thousands of hours of flying time around the world throughout his aviation career, John was not content to see the world only from the cockpit. He fearlessly drove his family on many European vacations and most recently embarked on several Viking cruises, enjoying gluhwein at the Christmas markets, seeing plays in London, and getting lost in countless medieval towns.

John is preceded in death by his parents; his nephew, Stephen Richard; and his sister-in-law, Carol Richard. He is survived by his wife of nearly 58 years; his daughters; his brother and sister; his brother-in-law, Douglas Allen; and his nieces and nephews, Debra Richard, Patricia Johnston, Charles Richard, Jr., Carri Medlin, Patrick Dunn, Aileen Dunn, and Diana Dunne and their spouses, children and grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church and the American Cancer Society.

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