Richard Horton

Richard William (Dick) Horton, 87, died Monday, January 14, 2013 at home in the loving care of his wife and with his family.

Dick was born March 22, 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was raised in Chicago Heights, Illinois and Benton Harbor, Michigan. His parents were Chester Theodore Horton, and Pauline Augusta Shippy. For nearly fifty years, he has been married to Joy Twitchell from Vernal. The couple have six children (his, hers, and ours). They are Michael (Jane) Horton, Vernal; Mary Lou Molina, Vernal; Gail Ann (Douglas) Olson, Grand Junction, Colorado; William Scott (Cheryl) Horton, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Preceding him in death are his parents, a sister Lillian (Mel) Fisher, two sons Richard Terry Horton (Career Navy submariner), and Kim Alan (Susan) Horton Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Dick served proudly and honorably with the US Marine Corps during World War II. He was a member of a reconnaissance and intelligence unit that was in the Pacific Theater of operations. He participated in the invasion of Guadalcanal, New Caledonia, Guam, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and more. After the war, he served several years in the National Guard.

He was educated in paleontology at the University of Wisconsin, and Yale University. Dick was a museum curator and director. Other careers during his lifetime include being an engineer for the Rockford Sprinkler Company, law enforcement officer serving as Vernal City Captain, and deputy and undersheriff for Moffat and Rio Blanco Counties in Colorado. He was also a park ranger for the National Park Service in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, and Arizona. During his retirement years, he spent over 2,000 hours working as a volunteer with his wife at the Uintah County Library Historical Center. He loved American history, Revolutionary, and especially Civil War history. He was a genealogist and had his own history traced back to 400 A.D.

Dick never met a stranger and was always on the go. He liked to go diving, fishing, hunting, camping, bird watching, and fossil hunting. He wrote poetry and was a member of the Saddle Sage Cowboy Poetry Group. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than sixty years, and was a thirty-two degree mason for the past ten years. He belonged to the Sons of Utah Pioneers, and Sons of the American Revolution. His religious affiliation was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was active as a Boy Scout Leader and Scoutmaster for seventeen years.

He will be greatly missed by all of us. Till we meet again, so long, we love you.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 19, 2013 at the Ashley Valley Funeral Home (410 North 800 West) at 11AM. A viewing will be held Friday evening 6-8PM and one hour prior to services at the mortuary. Interment will be in the Vernal Memorial Park with Military Honors provided by the American Legion and the Utah National Guard.

In Lieu of flowers please make donations to the Shriners Children Hospital.

Online condolences may be shared at www.AshleyValleyFuneralHome.com