Obituary of Richard Damron

RICHARD DAMRON May 3, 1943 – April 4, 2016 Richard Damron passed away on April 4, 2016 in Vancouver, Washington, where he had lived for the past 23 years. Richard was the first of Homer and Nadine Damron’s three children and was born in Amarillo, Texas on May 3, 1943. He was named Joe Richard Damron, in honor of his paternal grandfather, Joe Damron, but was always known as Richard. He attended and graduated from Amarillo High School and went on to the University of Texas, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was a passionate Texas Longhorns fan and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha. In 1973 Richard met his soul mate, Leslie Grimm, and they were married on New Year’s Eve, 1974. Richard and Leslie purchased the family retail jewelry store from his father and managed the business until they closed the store in 1986. Subsequently Richard worked as the Allocations and Agency Relations Director for the United Way for three years, but he was a born salesman and returned to sales until his retirement in 2008. Leslie joked that if you put a hammer in Richard’s hands, he would think it was something to sell. Although they had no children, Richard and Leslie hosted many exchange students through Richard’s affiliation with Rotary International. Strong bonds were formed with several of their “kids” and they developed extended families oversees. Richard loved to travel and he and Leslie traveled the world together over the 41 years they were married. He was a gourmet cook and although he normally left the less showy cuisine to Leslie, she could never match his skill at making buttermilk biscuits. Richard is survived by his wife, Leslie of Vancouver; his brother, Robert Damron of Amarillo; and his sister, Linda Webb of Amarillo. Richard gave his life to Jesus at an early age. He and Leslie were active members of Trinity Lutheran Church while in Amarillo and of New Heights Church in Vancouver. Every day for him now is a loved filled, happy one in heaven. Memorial services for Richard will be held in both Vancouver and Amarillo. The Vancouver service will be take place on Saturday, April 16 at 1:30 pm at New Heights East, 1902 NE 185th Avenue. A memorial service is also planned for April 28 at 6:00 pm at Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia, Amarillo, TX. His family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to City Team Mission/Portland Oregon, Faith City Mission in Amarillo, TX or to a charity of your choice.