Richard Lee Halford was born March 14, 1945 and lost his long battle with cancer on May 4, 2019. Richard was born to Alice and Charles Halford (both deceased) in Memphis, Tennessee. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Diane Waterbury Halford, his sons Todd (Rachel), and Darin (Holly) his two grandsons Hunter and Reid and his granddaughter Maddie. Richard is the middle child of 5 children: Charles Halford (deceased), Lynn Pattison, Cheri Krotzer and Terry Halford.
Mr. Halford was on a battleship at the time of Richard’s birth and was always quick to tell everyone that a 1 cent (yes, a penny) postcard announced his son's birth before the Red Cross could locate him.
Richard attended grade school at Treadwell, graduated from Kingsbury High School and attended Memphis State University. He loved sports and played school and Little League Baseball as an outstanding catcher, pitcher and hitter. The St Louis Cardinals were his favorite Major League team and during his college days he tried out for them. When his boys were young he coached T-ball and baseball at Ellendale Baptist Church. He was an avid bowler continuing to bowl 2 days a week until recently. He loved golf and organized yearly tournaments at Pickwick, Paris Landing and Bear Creek. Friday nights in the fall you could find him in the high school stadiums watching his grandsons play football.
Motorcycles were Richard’s recreational transportation in the 60’s and 70’s when he rode his ‘Snortin’ Norton’ with a custom purple tank with a snake painted on it, a Yamaha, a Harley Davidson trike and a Bultaco dirt bike. He even came home with a Dune Buggy once!
Richard worked at Firestone Tire and Rubber from the mid 60’s until it closed in the mid 80’s. He built earthmover and industrial vehicle tires. These were the largest tires that were made in the Memphis plant and required 2 men to build them. After Firestone closed he went into construction work and even had a short career in real estate.
We love him and will miss him so but we stand strong in the faith that he fought courageously and is now healed. Please join us as we celebrate his life Friday, May 10, from 4-7pm at Family Funeral Care, 4925 Summer Avenue Memphis, TN.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
