Richard Glenn Gold

His father was in the oil business, and as a child the family moved a lot, living in South Carolina, Texas, California, and places in between. He graduated high school in Houston and attended the University of Texas in Austin. Richard joined the Army in 1959. He completed basic training at Ft. Carson, Colorado, and then was stationed at Ft. Riley in Kansas in Company A 701 Ordnance Battalion where he received training to become an expert marksman. In 1962 he married Ann Deegan, and during the Cuban Missile Crisis was sent to Ft. Gordon, Georgia where his first daughter Bridget was born. He was honorably discharged as a Spec. E5 in 1962.

After the Army, Richard worked at Household Finance Company in Houston, where he received his financial training. He was hired by Texaco to work in the finance department and while in Houston, Debbie (1963) and Mike (1966) were born. In 1971, while at Texaco, he was transferred briefly to Southern California. In 1972 the family moved to Portland, Oregon. He became the credit manager at Topline Equipment, the beginning of a long and successful career in the heavy equipment leasing business.

In 1982 Richard married Kay Hope and they shared their first home in Northeast Portland.

The heavy equipment industry downturn in 1986 forced Richard to look for new opportunities, and he briefly worked as ground crew for Pacific Southwest Airlines in Eugene as well as San Francisco. His background in finance made him a valuable asset however, and after nine months, he was sought out and hired by the Peterson Caterpillar dealership in San Leandro as a credit manager. In 1994, they moved back to the Portland area where he continued to work in heavy equipment financing until he finished his career with Halton (now Peterson) in 2007.

As a proud Texan, Richard spent many hours in his burnt orange hat, jacket and chair rooting the Longhorns on to victory. In fact, he is the third-great-grandson of the founder of Sherman, Texas. Richard and Kay especially enjoyed reconnecting with his Texas cousins on trips to Houston, Refugio and San Antonio.

He learned fishing from his father and along with golf, it became one of his favorite hobbies. The highlight of Richard’s fishing career was the 2012 deep sea fishing trip to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana with Valley friends where he hooked and reeled in a marlin.

Richard loved spending time with his grandchildren, whether it was taking them to the Pig and Ford races, the Nutcracker ballet, or hosting sleepovers where they would make cookies, play instruments, tell stories, and make ebelskivers the next day. As a storyteller extraordinaire, he had a great memory and would regale his children and grandchildren for hours with detailed stories about growing up in Texas, fishing, or his time in the Army.

He and Kay loved to travel and Kay’s career in the airline industry afforded them the opportunity to travel the world on planes, trains and automobiles. Richard suggested that they host a high school exchange student from France, and thus were introduced to Annette Guillet in 1992 who became their lifelong “French Daughter”.

Richard loved the outdoors and took many camping trips with his extended family, fishing, playing horseshoes, singing and cooking over an open fire. In the mid-1980s, he and Kay upped their camping game and purchased “Gunther”, their 1977 VW bus. Many happy weekends with their dog, Toby were spent with Kay’s family at Pat and Don’s properties in Ilwaco and near Bingen,Washington. When Kay retired in 2013 from Valley Community Presbyterian Church, they bought “Trekky” and traveled across the United States visiting family and friends all along the way.

A spiritual man, Richard was a proud member of Valley Community Presbyterian Church, joining in 1998. At Valley, Richard served as a Stephen’s Minister, a Starfish Mariner member, as a Deacon, the moderator for Deacons, on the Finance Committee, on the Valley Foundation Board, taught VBS, Sunday School and volunteered at Bud Clark Commons. Richard also volunteered at Good Samaritan Hospital for ten years netting 1,643 volunteer hours.

Richard passed away on February 28, 2022 and is survived by his wife, Kay, of over 39 years, his brother Bill (Gloria), his children Bridget (Frank), Debbie, and Mike, his nine grandchildren Nick, Matthew (Ellie), Zach (Claire), Jake, Anna, Tony, Aidan, Gracie, Lily and three great-grandchildren Fiona, Mara and Jack.

A visitation for Richard will be held Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Ross Hollywood Chapel and Killingsworth St. Johns Lombard Little Chapel of The Chimes, 4733 NE Thompson St, Portland, OR 97213. A funeral service will occur Monday, March 14, 2022 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Valley Community Presbyterian Church, 8060 SW Brentwood St., Portland, OR 97225. A graveside service will occur Tuesday, March 15, 2022 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SW Mt. Scott Blvd., Portland, OR 97068.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rosshollywoodfuneralchapel.com for the Gold family.