Funeral Mass for Major (Retired) Joseph C. Richard, 94, Lawton, will be 2:00 p.m. Friday in the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with Father Joseph R. Ross and Rev. James D.M. Stafford officiating. Major Richard died Monday, February 6 at his residence. Burial with full military honors will be in Highland Cemetery under the direction of the Becker Funeral Home & Cremation Service. A rosary service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Thursday in the Becker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel. He was born August 6, 1917 New Orleans, La and raised in New Orleans, Gulfport, Miss and Baton Rouge, La. He was graduated from Baton Rouge High school in 1935; Graduated from LSU in 1940, Commissioned as a 2nd Lt US Army Field Artillery and posted to Ft. Sill, Ok until 1943 when he joined the 100th Infantry Division based at Ft Jackson SC which was preparing for deployment to the European theater. During that time he lost his right hand in a training accident. After he recovered, he continued to serve his country at Ft. Sill, Ok medically retiring as a Major, US Army Field Artillery in 1946. During his time at Ft. Sill he met Sarah Elizabeth Adams, an Army Nurse. They married in 1945 and settled in Lawton Ok after his retirement and raised eight children. He joined the Equitable Life Insurance Company in 1946 and continued with the company until his retirement in 2000 making the Million Dollar Roundtable numerous times. He continued with the company on a part time basis until 2007. His first wife Sarah preceded him in death in 1972 and in 1973 he met Sara Elizabeth Abernethy and they married later that year. Joe was active in many of the Arts organizations in Lawton such as the Opera Guild, Little Theater, Lawton Philharmonic, The Theater in the Round and Arts for All. He was an active member of the Lawton Chamber of Commerce, the Optimist Club, The Boy Scouts of America as Scoutmaster of Troop 141, the Four Seasons Dance Club and The Knights of Columbus. After his retirement he continued to be a community servant by reading to the grade school children in the Lawton Public Schools. Joe could always be counted on to help out at the Center for Creative Living. He was an outdoorsman taking his sons and daughters on numerous camping, fishing and hunting adventures. In 1965 he and Sarah bought property in Lake City Colorado and enjoyed summers up there until her death. After marrying Sara Elizabeth Abernethy she and Joe continued to enjoy the Lake City summers where they made numerous lifelong friends. He was an avid golfer and managed a low handicap with only one arm. He was a great fisherman dazzling friends and family with his casting skills. He was known as the "Wild Mushroom Expert" of Hinsdale County Co because only Joe could eat a poisonous mushroom and survive. The Lawton home and the Lake City house were always open to family and friends no matter what the occasion. Joe was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church since 1944. He was always a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and close friend. He is survived by his wife, of the home; six children and their spouses, J.P. and Jean Ann Richard, Lawton, Michael P. Richard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, John S. and Betty Richard, Oklahoma City, Matthew J. Richard, Tacoma, Washington, Peter S. Richard, Norman, Oklahoma, and Camille E. Richard, Lake City, Colorado; two step daughters and their husbands, Barbara and George Dahnke, Oklahoma City, and Ann and Mike Gursey, Basalt, Colorado; 15 grandchildren, 3 step grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren; a sister, Peggy Smith, St. Louis, Missouri; numerous nieces and nephews. Two daughters, Mary Margaret "Peggy" Chun and Barbara Ann "Bobbie" Segler, two brothers and two sisters, preceded him in death. Memorial contributions may be made to Catholic Charities, 1501 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City OK 73106, the Center for Creative Living, 3501 SW Dr. Elsie Hamm Drive, Lawton OK 73505 or to the charity of the donor's choice.