A Memoir: By Raechel Rickard in honour of R.L. Rickard.

A Memoir:

By Raechel Rickard in honour of

R.L. Rickard.

My Papa, R.L. Rickard, was born in Buffaloe Arkansas on February 22, 1930. His

parents were Leonard Rickard and Effie Bazzill and he has three sisters,

Odell, Opal Ruth, and Melva Lou.

He was born to a farming family and grew up

working in cotton and

bean fields.

He joined the Navy

immediately after

graduating from high

school at 17 years of age.

While on a 30 day leave back home

he met Gloria Imogene Gilliland

on February 17th,1953.

They married on March 11th, 1953

and stayed together for 51 years then my

Nanny passed in 2004. He was so heartbroken my

mom had to make him eat.

When he joined the Navy they made him take on the name Robert Lynn

which he would pass down to his youngest son.

He had three children, Heidi Marie Rickard,

Kevin Brian Rickard, and Robert Lynn

Rickard.

He spent 7 years on the White House Staff operating and

maintaining the Presidential Yacht under both Presidents Eisenhower

and Kennedy.

He knew President Kennedy well and his house was decorated with

many letters from the White House. Probably the most unique

of which was from Mamie Eisenhower thanking him for

assembling basketball goals for her kids. Often R.L. and his family were invited to Christmas Dinner

at the White House.

Papa is the second from the left and Dwight D. Eisenhower is the

man holding the rail.

In 1963 R.L. received orders to move to Hawaii. President

Kennedy asked him how he liked his orders and Papa said that he would prefer working tugboats on the east or west coast. His

orders were changed to Tugboat Master at Treasure

Island in San Francisco.

Everyone knew his tug on sight because of the dancing bull backed by a white diamond

adorning it’s stack.

He completed 22 years in the Navy and retired as Chief

Boatswains Mate having received the American Defense Medal with

Fleet Clasp, Navy Occupation Service Medal with Asia Clasp, China Service Medal, United

Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean

Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

Proud of his naval career his license tag read BMC RET.

After R.L. retired he worked a variety of jobs and moved back to

Paragould Arkansas on May 4th 1971. When they got a house on New Friendship Road he began

working at Darling Store Fixtures on the maintenance crew,

eventually leading it before retiring.

Prior to retiring he was honoured as a distinguished senior

employee.

He also enjoys gardening and auto repair as the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ and

he has little need for repair and service men.

He built most of the house that he lived in with his family in Paragould. When they first moved in it was a three-bedroom

house but Papa added a master bedroom, dining room, utility room, den, oversized two-car garage, three sheds, and a storm

cellar.

To this day R.L. is a devoted Christian and extremely friendly,

even to the point of inviting a Sear’s Catalogue lady to dinner when she called to tell him his

order had come in. He is a teacher, leader, and a man of values who hides a soft center

behind a gruff but quiet manner.

Earlier this year he had a stroke and is recovering but has to sell

his house and belongings and live with Heidi and Bobby. He may also

have Alzheimer’s or it could just be the stroke damaging his

memory but I won’t let him fade from my heart and mind.

This is the end of

A Memoir:

In Honour of R.L. (Papa) Rickard.

I love you Papa.