RICHARD HARRISON CHILDRESS's Obituary
Childress, Richard Harrison, 96, passed away on January 11, 2018.
He lived in the Miami area since 1977 and was a resident of Coral Gables, FL.
Born in Charleston, WV, he attended Morris Harvey College, now University of Charleston. His goal to become an attorney was interrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and graduated from Officer Candidate School in Miami Beach, FL, in 1942. He was assigned to a factory in Detroit, MI. The factory provided wings for B-17 bombers and P-47 fighter planes. He was promoted to Captain and continued in this assignment until after the end of World War II.
He recommenced his studies to become an attorney by enrolling in night school at Detroit College of Law. Simultaneously, he became a salesman for a fire safety equipment manufacturer and distributor. He was so successful at selling he decided, after two years, to devote full time to his fire safety career.
He was called back into active duty for two years during the Korean conflict. He returned to the fire safety industry as sales manager. Moving to Florida in 1977, he started his own business and began distributing and manufacturing fire safety equipment. The company has prospered and currently manufacturers and supplies equipment throughout the United States and internationally.
Richard was a world traveler, and an accomplished athlete, outdoorsman, and hunter. In 2003, he was inducted into the Alumni Gallery of Achievement at his alma mater.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Childress; his daughters, Julie Childress Stroh and Lisa Childress Petersen; his granddaughters Lisa Stroh Libbey and Melissa Britt Petersen; great granddaughter, Georgina Stroh Libbey; step daughter, Tanya Patnode, and step granddaughter, Sadie Patnode.
A memorial service will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church in Coconut Grove, FL 33133, on February 24, 2018, at 10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Plymouth Congregational Church, 3400 Devon Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133.
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