Richard Charles Irvine

Richard Charles Irvine, 91, passed away on Saturday afternoon at his home in Nixa – exactly where he wanted to be. Richard arrived as the youngest of five children to Charles Edward and Mary Sarah (Nicholas) Irvine on September 3, 1929 in Lomita, CA. From that point on, he was always a “busy man,” whether it be with his family, his hobbies, his job, serving his country, or (most importantly) serving the Lord. On August 12, 1950 in Wilmington, CA he married the love of his life, Betty Gibson. Together the couple celebrated nearly 71 years of marriage and family. Richard always believed that first, you serve God, second you serve your family, and then everything else would simply fall in line. Part of Richard’s busy life was job as an analyst in the Aerospace industry, another was his time serving his country in the United States Navy. However, Richard did so much more than that. For instance, at 17 he, along with his father and nephew, summited Mt. Whitney on horseback – the first people to do so after WWII. He loved the mountains, oceans, lakes, or anything outdoors including camping and boating. At 80 years old, after having open heart surgery, Richard decided to take up building & playing dulcimers. He crafted many dulcimers and gave them to family across the country, from Georgia to Alaska. Prior to his death, he had taken up another new hobby – building model boats. Richard’s busy life is reflected upon by his wife, who says she felt like she never did anything in her life until she met Richard. He was a great and loving man, who will truly be missed by his family. Surviving are: his wife, Betty; three children, Pam Ayres of Springfield, Gary Irvine of Bagdad, KY, and Jeannie Irvine of Shelbyville, KY; eight grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his four siblings, and one grandchild. A Funeral will be held for Richard at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, June 18, 2021, at Adams Funeral Home in Nixa. Friends & relatives are invited to a Visitation with the family one hour prior to the service, from 10:00-11:00 A.M. at the Funeral Home. Pastor Don Tucker will officiate, with burial following at McConnell-Bledsoe Cemetery in Nixa.