Richard Thomas Detrio

Colonel Richard T. Detrio, U.S. Army, Retired, 81 of Davisville, West Virginia, passed from his earthly to his heavenly home surrounded by those he loved on September 21, 2021 as a result of leukemia, due to exposure to Agent Orange while serving in the Vietnam Conflict.

Rick grew up in Miami, Florida, the son of the late John Joseph Detrio, an Italian tile setter and President of United Art Tile Co, Inc., and the late Mary Gulino Detrio, of Sicily. His days were filled with the usual childhood adventures, most of which centered around sports, all sports. Rick kept record of all his team stats from 1953 through college. He was on Southside and then Coral Gables teams and also played for Saints Peter and Paul Panthers in junior high and his freshman year in high school, where he lettered in football and basketball. He made the All-Star Team in the Babe Ruth League as a center fielder in 1956. In 1957, his high school was closed, and he moved to Archbishop Curley High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football and track. In 1957 he won the Curley Award as the Most Valuable Player in both baseball and basketball. Upon graduation from high school, he was recruited to Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where he played baseball as a Badger. He graduated in the top ten percent of his class in 1962, with a B.S. in Economics/Business Administration and entered the United States Army.

Colonel Detrio served his country for 27 years in the United States Army from 1962 to 1989, including tours totaling six years abroad: two in Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, and the Federal Republic of Germany. He was a highly decorated officer who received multiple awards and commendations including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with bronze oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, Joint Meritorious Service Award, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (4), Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross of Unit Citation, Parachutist Badge, Overseas Service Bars (2), Republic of Vietnam Staff Service Medal 1st Class, Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st Class, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm.

During his Army career, Rick continued to pursue his love of sports, playing on Army teams and running many races and marathons, culminating in his completion of the Marine Corps Marathon in 1986. Learning and education, however, remained his highest priority. He graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Miami in 1973, and most notably earned a certificate from the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1977 and from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (Army War College) Army Readiness Assessment Program in 1985. Additionally he attended many courses including: Personnel Executive Management, WESTPAC, Eighth US Army Course; Adjutant General Career Course; Recruiting and Induction Officer Course; Special Services Course, Ft. Benjamin Harrison; and Airborne School, 8th US Army Infantry Division.

On August 1, 1984 Rick was promoted to the rank of Colonel and was Chief, Military Support Liaison Office, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency upon his retirement. Colonel Detrio held a number of posts in the Adjutant General Corps, including Secretary, General Staff, of a major Army command; Adjutant General of two unified commands (the Combined Forces Command/United Nations Command, Republic of Korea, and the US Readiness Command, McDill Air Force Base); and Management Officer, Office of the Chief, Research and Development, Washington, DC. While assigned as a Senior Fellow at the National Defense University, where he graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, he authored “Strategic Partners: South Korea and the United States,” which was published by the National Defense University Press.

In 1989, Colonel Detrio was approached by then Congressman Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia. He needed someone with strong defense and related industry contacts, as well as knowledge of government procurement and contracting practices to help WV business development. Rick left his Army career behind and embarked on his second career as a Business and Economic Development Specialist for the 1st Congressional District of West Virginia. He became the Director of Government Programs for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and his life would never be the same.

In 1991, Stephanie Flesher became the Chief Financial Officer of the MOVRC. Rick and Stephanie were friends and colleagues and somewhere between phone calls became much more. Stephanie moved to Virginia in 1995, and Rick and Stephanie shared their lives until his Lord and Savior took Rick home, just one day after their 24th wedding anniversary. They loved having friends over, tailgating at Redskins games, taking boat rides across the Chesapeake, going to Inaugural festivities, staying at Nemacolin, cruising the seas and wintering in Florida with family and snowbird friends.

Rick is survived by his wife of 24 years, Stephanie Flesher Detrio, sons Richard J. (Denise) Detrio of Lutz, FL; Stephen L. (Dawn) Detrio of Bow, NH; Mark T. (Kelly) Detrio of Naperville, IL; his brother John (Fran) Detrio and sister Marilyn (Hugh) Kirkland, grandchildren Tessa, Alyssa, Nicholas, Maycee, Dylan and Peyton, father-in-law Bob Flesher, brother-in-law Mike (Brenda) Flesher and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his beloved fur-daughter Holly.

He had many close friends from West Virginia, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, Chicago, Houston, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and Canada.

Rick and Stephanie were blessed to have caring friends and caregivers as Agent Orange related Parkinson’s Disease took its toll on his body: Brother Mike, Shelley, Justin, Amy, Eric, Dan, Donald and Stacey, along with cousin Lynn in Rick’s final days at home. Finally, no words can express the family’s gratitude for the love and care of Dr. Vickie Cox. Her faith, her strength and her support over the years of Rick’s Parkinson’s fight cannot be measured.

Colonel Detrio was an active member of Murphytown Baptist Church and Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, both in Parkersburg.

Rick was a life member in the Disabled American Veterans of West Virginia and served on many Boards: Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation, Inc.; Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex; Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Education Center Board of Visitors; WVU at Parkersburg Foundation. It was his greatest pleasure to support the church, the youth, veterans, friends and neighbors, in any way he could.

Service and burial with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made in his honor to Disabled American Veterans #32 or Murphytown Baptist Church, 114 Shadowood Lane, Davisville WV 26142.