In Loving Memory of Richard Houk, who Passed on Easter Sunday, April 16th, 2017…

Richard grew up on a farm in Ohio along with five brothers and joined the Air Force when he graduated from High School where he became a staff sergeant and a crew chief of a bomb loading crew. While he was in Germany a load of bombs was being delivered and the truck ran over his foot resulting in a crushing injury to his right foot. After surgery he came home on leave and married Bartina Baumgardner and three weeks later was transferred to Udorn Air Base in Thailand. While stationed there he received a letter of commendation for saving an airplane from being blown up when his base was under attack. He is very proud of his military career

After he was discharged from the Air Force he held a variety of jobs from being a shift supervisor for mechanics to delivering and setting up a mobile operating room to hospitals. He was also very interested in community activities and served as president of City Council in Weston Ohio. The following year he became the mayor and during his tenure he performed weddings, held traffic court, and conducted the town’s business affairs. He also coached a Little League baseball team and was very involved in church as a deacon and elder. He has always had a love for car racing.

He and Bartina and their two sons, Joshua and Jason, moved to Georgia in 1981 and became involved in their local church as youth group coaches for many years and took the teens on many trips including a trip to the Navajo Reservation in Chinle, Arizona.

In January of this year, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had several rounds of radiation. God bless and many thanks to the Angel Army who supported Richard as he fought this disease. No matter how hard a day he had, there was always something for him to laugh about and be grateful for. Richard passed away at the age of 70 on Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. Services will be held at 1 PM on April 28th at Northstar Church.

He always believed that God is in control and offers everyone comfort and strength. We all need to appreciate the beauty of the simple things in life. He was always saying “We’ll get through this – with God and our family sticking together.”