Richard Alvin Nesbit

Richard Alvin (Dick) Nesbit, age 94, died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Claremont on October 16, 2024, the birthday of his second daughter Elaine and his youngest sister Tootie. Richard was born in 1930 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he met his future wife Nedra Ann Bergeron at only 7 years old at the local Catholic Grammar School. Richard and Nedra lived around the corner from each other and would walk to and from school together. Richard would carry Nedra’s books as any young Southern boy would do for his sweetheart. They quickly formed a crush on each other and a bond that lasted for 87 years.

Richard and Nedra attended affiliated Catholic high schools in Baton Rouge, as the schools were segregated by gender. Richard attended the all-boys Catholic High School where he was President of and played the French horn in the CHS Band. He was also the Grand Champion in Intramural Handball. Richard’s future wife, Nedra attended the all-girls St. Joseph’s Academy, where Richard’s mother, Alice Louise (Buchel) Nesbit, was the 1910 valedictorian.

Richard and Nedra also attended Louisiana State University together. A week before his 1951 graduation from LSU with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Richard was given the choice by the U.S. government to be either drafted into military service for the Korean War or to work as an engineer for a defense contractor. Richard quickly decided that working for a defense contractor was the better option, so he immediately secured a job at General Dynamics in California.

Richard and Nedra both graduated from LSU on June 2, 1951. They married the following Saturday on June 9, 1951, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. They had a quick reception with cake at Nedra’s Aunt Claire’s home and immediately packed their brand new black 1951 Chevy Styleline Deluxe Sedan and drove to California so that Richard could start work at General Dynamics. A wedding photo taken in the back of the sedan captured the joy of that day.

Richard began his career at General Dynamics first as a test engineer, then quickly ascended the ranks to Engineering Section Head, Systems Engineering Manager, Design Engineering Manager, Manufacturing Engineering Director, and Program Director for various missile systems. He held top secret U.S. Security Clearance.

In 1967 Richard obtained a Masters in Engineering in Systems Engineering/Business from UCLA, which he attended at night after a full day of working at General Dynamics.

In 1982 Richard was promoted to Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Missile Manufacturing Facility in Camden Arkansas. In 1983 he was appointed by then Arkansas governor Bill Clinton to the State of Arkansas Science and Technology Authority reposing in Richard special trust and confidence in his ability, integrity, diligence and discretion.

Richard retired in 1990 at the age of 60.

In his spare time Richard was an avid runner, hiker, handball and racquetball player. He was also a builder at heart – first with an aviary cage, followed by a shed, a kiln, bunk beds, a ceramic studio and a massive sunroom in Claremont, followed by a full renovation/expansion of their home in Hawaii in retirement. He was an Instructor in Industrial Supervision at Mt. San Antonio College. He was also the Vice President of the National Management Association, on the Board of Directors for Wilderness Group, Inc., Vice President of Advanced Electro Labs, and a referee for the American Youth Soccer Organization.

He was an active member of Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church since 1961 where he served as Chairman of the annual Fiesta in the 1960s, was a founding member of the Silver Saints which helped widows with handyman, financial and other work and a lead section couple with Nedra in the Christian Family Movement.

During his retirement he volunteered for the Inland Hospice Association. He also delivered hot meals to homebound seniors through Meals on Wheels. He always delivered these meals with a smile and a dad joke. His seniors looked forward to Richard’s special deliveries.

After his retirement Richard and Nedra moved to Laupahoehoe on the Big Island of Hawaii. Shortly after their arrival, the St. Anthony Catholic Church in Papaaloa burned to the ground. The Parrish appointed Richard to prepare a plan to seek funds to rebuild the church and its facilities. His plan is still used today as a template by the Catholic Church.

Richard kept track of all of his runs and was proud of the fact that since he started running in his late 30s, he ran over 2,000 miles more than the 24,889-mile circumference of the earth. He was the Pomona Valley Ping Pong Champion in the late 1950s and the star pitcher for the General Dynamics baseball team. He also loved gardening. He received numerous awards for his plants at local plant shows in the Pomona Valley. He and Nedra turned their property into a beautiful botanical garden admired by all who visited their Claremont home.

Richard was the second-to-last child of Alice (Louise) and Grover Eustis Nesbit’s ten children. Out of his nine siblings, Rose, Grover (Eustis), John P. (Jack), Carmelitte, Wilbur (Boots), George (Buff), Betty, and William (Billy), only Richard and his sister Mary Clare (Tootie) lived into their 90s. Tootie (95) is Richard’s only surviving sibling. Richard often said that it is hard to live into your 80s and even harder to get out of your 80s alive. He did both with grace.

Richard was Nedra’s primary caregiver for eleven years after she suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on her right side. Towards the end of their lives together, Richard would sing to Nedra – I love you, I love you, I love you. Even when his voice was failing, he still sang those words and they always brought her joy. He outlived his wife of 73 years by only 6 days.

He is survived by six of his seven children Michael Alvin Nesbit, Janine Ann Nesbit and her husband Gregory Shank, Stephen Mark Nesbit and his wife Michelle, Elaine Louise Nesbit and her husband Henry Chua, Roland Jules Nesbit and Byron Paul Nesbit and his wife Linda; his eight grandchildren Brittany Ann Sciolla, Gia Iku Nesbit, Matthew Stephen Nesbit, Xian Nesbit Chua, Colin Matsumoto Nesbit, Amanda Michelle Woodruff, Brooke Elizabeth Roper and Miya Nesbit Chua; and four great grandchildren Archer Cayde Martinez, Emmeline Rose Sciolla, Amelia Rose Woodruff and Ace Aurelius Martinez. Sadly, his youngest daughter, Maria Rose Nesbit, passed away in 1997 at the age of 35.

Nedra and Richard’s final arrangements are being made at Stone Funeral Home in Upland, California. There will be a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Assumption Church, 435 Berkeley Avenue in Claremont on Saturday November 30, 2024, at 10:00 AM.