Posted: Wednesday, May 7, 2008 12:00 am
John Richard, a former Lebanon City Councilor and active community volunteer, died May 1 at the age of 80.
Richard served on the City Council from 1982 to 1992 and from 1995 to 1998.
Mayor Ken Toombs, who was on the council at the same time, said "John was about the fairest councilor I ever worked with. He always tried to look at both sides and when he made his mind up he was pretty clear about what he thought was right. . . . I admired and respected him."
Former city councilor Ron Miller said what he appreciated about Richard the most was that he was thoughtful about what he did.
"Often he would come out with a different viewpoint about the issues that no one else had thought about," he said. "As we talked about it, it made sense. He was always considerate of others' viewpoints. If he thought differently he would tell you about it, gentlemanly."
Richard worked in the research and development at the U.S./Champion Plywood Mill for about 30 years before retiring in 1985.
He served more than eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II and the Korean Conflict. In an interview in 1994, Richard said he helped liberate Seoul, was trapped for a time behind enemy lines in North Korea and was wounded before returning to the U.S.
He was one of 20,000 troops trapped near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea by 120,000 Chinese soldiers in November 1950, in sub-zero temperatures. He survived the 10-day battle to get back to territory held by the United Nations.
For about 11 years in the late 1980s and 1990s Richard and his wife, Helen, owned and operated Strawberry City Coffee Shop near Main and Vine streets. They made the small shop a friendly place where regular customers sometimes helped out behind the counter and conversation went back and forth between tables.
"I met old friends and made new ones there," said Becky King, one of the regulars. "You had time to get to know people there."
After the shop closed the Richards opened the social hall at St. Martin's Episcopal Church on Saturdays for a coffee open house. They would make coffee and people would bring goodies, King said.
"John and coffee just kind of went together," she said. "I think that's how he was most comfortable, with a cup in one hand and a coffee pot in the other."
Richard also spent considerable time at the stoves in the Lebanon Soup Kitchen. Board member Nancey West said the Richards were instrumental in getting it started. He cooked the first or second meal.
"He liked to get in there and do the work and he was good at it," she said.
Richard was an active member of St. Martin's Episcopal Church for several decades. He served for a time on the Vestry, the church's governing body, and often was involved in taking care of the church building.
Fellow St. Martin's member Jim Johnson said Richard was very knowledgeable about the building and helpful when Johnson was in charge of it.
"John was a great help, showing how they did things around the church," he said.
The two also shared a military background, Richard being an ex-Marine and Johnson in the Navy.
"We used to tell war stories to each other quite a bit," Johnson said. "I had a great deal of respect for him, coming out of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War."
Ken and Florence Christ also were members of St. Martin's with Richard. Florence Christ said Richard was very involved, but always supported his wife, Helen, in what she did. "He made it possible for her to do lots of things," she said.