Obituary for Richard Lynn Wade
Richard Lynn Wade, 79, of Louisville died at home on December 12, 2022, surrounded by his children.
He was born in Clinton, Tennessee in 1943, the third of four children born to Calvin Ray Wade and Jesse Mack (Waggoner) Wade.
He lived a life full of stories. One summer he worked as a traveling book salesman in the western prairies and survived a tornado by diving into a roadside ditch. As a young teen, he rode the train all the way to Washington, DC by himself. His high school was bombed by the KKK to prevent its integration just before his freshman year. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in History from the University of Nevada in Reno. That was after he served in the Air Force during the VietNam war, serving in both Japan and VietNam.
While serving in the Air Force, he met Margaret Rightmire on a weekend getaway to San Francisco in May of 1967. She was from Chicago, and before the year was over, they married. After earning his degree, he entered the management training program for Kresge and spent over 25 years working as a store manager for Kmarts across the Southeast.
He loved history and knew enough about the Civil War to correct Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin. He was fascinated by plants, studying bonsai and landscape design. He built waterfalls and ponds for any friend that asked. He loved being on the water. Sea, pond, creek… it didn’t matter. His hands carved beautiful wood pieces, built, sculpted, and planted. He loved to observe life around him. He loved dogs and horses and wandering in the woods looking for arrowheads and ferns. He valued loyalty and family and friendship and wit and the little guy. He loved a good joke, a good song, and a good drink. His favorite was sitting around with those he loved and just shooting the shit.
If you were lucky, he called you Cowboy or got you with a practical joke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his three siblings, Don Wade, James Wade, and Cynthia Hamilton, and his wife Peggy Wade. He is survived by his children, Jim (Faith), Jennifer Wade Hesse (Michael), and Molly Hyman (Stephen), grand children Anna Wade, Emme Wade, David Wade, Alli Wade, Logan Hesse, Rachel Hesse, Sydney Hesse, Josie Hesse, Leo Hyman and Lila Hyman, a host of nieces and nephews, and countless friends.
If you’d like to remember him, rescue a houseplant, plant a tree, feed the birds and throw peanuts at squirrels, or listen to a sweet fiddle. You can also make a donation to Hosparus of Louisville who helped him finish his life with dignity and peace.
“By God, Woodrow, It's been one hell of a party…”
He was born in Clinton, Tennessee in 1943, the third of four children born to Calvin Ray Wade and Jesse Mack (Waggoner) Wade.
He lived a life full of stories. One summer he worked as a traveling book salesman in the western prairies and survived a tornado by diving into a roadside ditch. As a young teen, he rode the train all the way to Washington, DC by himself. His high school was bombed by the KKK to prevent its integration just before his freshman year. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in History from the University of Nevada in Reno. That was after he served in the Air Force during the VietNam war, serving in both Japan and VietNam.
While serving in the Air Force, he met Margaret Rightmire on a weekend getaway to San Francisco in May of 1967. She was from Chicago, and before the year was over, they married. After earning his degree, he entered the management training program for Kresge and spent over 25 years working as a store manager for Kmarts across the Southeast.
He loved history and knew enough about the Civil War to correct Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin. He was fascinated by plants, studying bonsai and landscape design. He built waterfalls and ponds for any friend that asked. He loved being on the water. Sea, pond, creek… it didn’t matter. His hands carved beautiful wood pieces, built, sculpted, and planted. He loved to observe life around him. He loved dogs and horses and wandering in the woods looking for arrowheads and ferns. He valued loyalty and family and friendship and wit and the little guy. He loved a good joke, a good song, and a good drink. His favorite was sitting around with those he loved and just shooting the shit.
If you were lucky, he called you Cowboy or got you with a practical joke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his three siblings, Don Wade, James Wade, and Cynthia Hamilton, and his wife Peggy Wade. He is survived by his children, Jim (Faith), Jennifer Wade Hesse (Michael), and Molly Hyman (Stephen), grand children Anna Wade, Emme Wade, David Wade, Alli Wade, Logan Hesse, Rachel Hesse, Sydney Hesse, Josie Hesse, Leo Hyman and Lila Hyman, a host of nieces and nephews, and countless friends.
If you’d like to remember him, rescue a houseplant, plant a tree, feed the birds and throw peanuts at squirrels, or listen to a sweet fiddle. You can also make a donation to Hosparus of Louisville who helped him finish his life with dignity and peace.
“By God, Woodrow, It's been one hell of a party…”