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Upon returning from Germany he went to work for Pacific Gas & Electric at Moss Landing. It was there that he met his wife, Carolyn L. Tindall. Carolyn was visiting as a guest of a girl friend of hers whose father wanted to introduce his daughter to Richard. However, his plan did not quite work out the way he had planned. Richard and Carolyn were married just a few months later. They married and settled in Watsonville where they had two daughters.
In 1972, they made the move to Ione, California where he went to work, for SMUD, on the Rancho Seco Nuclear Power plant that was under construction. While in Ione he founded the Bronco's pop warner football team and became one of the coaches of the new team. However, the Sunday games did not sit well with some of the mothers in town and they decided it was time to do something about it. He was invited to the home of Marilyn and Gaylon Hansen to invite him to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He accepted their hospitality by lighting a cigarette in their home, but that did not assuage them. He was baptized and four years later he was called as Bishop of the growing congregation.
In 1982 he went to work for Bechtel and he moved his small family to Mora de Ebre, Spain where he worked on the construction of the Nuclear power plant being built in Asco, Spain. He spent two years there before the company moved him to Maryland and then Brazil. But in 1986 diabetes II became prominent in his life. He went back to work for SMUD near Cobb, California, living in Cobb and later near Clear Lake, but his failing eye sight made it difficult to do his work with any accuracy and, in 1995, he eventually retired. He was not one to sit still.
Richard and Carolyn moved back to Sacramento where they could be closer to his doctors and their imminent granddaughter, of which they had five. While he always dreamed of having a son of his own he doted on his daughters and granddaughters. He was tough on them but they were his pride and joy. He loved to spend time with his granddaughters, often surprising them by picking them up from school. He worked in his garage painting seasonal yard decorations and tinkering on this and that, often with them right at his side. He also spent many hours continuing the work his mother started on his family genealogy, but due to his failing eyesight we are still not sure of the accuracy of that information.
Eventually, diabetes took its toll on him. While Carolyn took masterful care of him the damage to his body had already been done. He lost most of his sight, he had numerous heart attacks and strokes. In fact, stokes became so commonplace to him that one day he was out walking his dog when he felt the symptoms start. Not wanting to leave his dog at the park he walked her home and then got into his truck and drove himself to the hospital. In 2002 when his kidneys failed he reluctantly began dialysis. In 2009 part of his foot was amputated and in 2010 he passed away while sitting in his chair at the dialysis center.
He was gruff and hardworking. Most people did not take the time to look behind the wall he built to hide how shy he really was. He may be remembered most for his love of his country and the huge fireworks shows he put on in his front yard every year. And of course the homemade ice cream, because on the 4th of July every kid was allowed to eat as much as they liked and no adult was allowed to tell them no. He loved his ice cream and after a softball game he would load everyone in the back of his truck and drive them to the Frosty for an ice cream cone, win or lose. But more than anything the legacy he wanted to leave behind was to 'Pay it Forward.'
