Dr. Joe Rickard

Joseph Conway (Dr. Joe) Rickard, age 89 of Temple, died Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at the VA Hospital in Temple after a lengthy illness. Memorial services will be held at 3:30 PM Saturday, October 17th at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple. Burial with military honors will be private. Dr. Rickard was born July 16, 1926 in his grandmother's home in Weatherford, Texas, to Joe Smith Rickard and Mattie Mae Wright Rickard. He grew up in Fort Worth, graduating from Paschal High School in 1943. Enlisting in the Army Air Force in December 1943, he trained as an airplane mechanic in Amarillo, including specialized training on B-29's. Joe was called to active duty in January 1945 and shipped to Europe as part of the Occupation Army, and was stationed in Horshing, Austria. While there he was given leave to attend Biarritz American University in Biarritz, France. After service, Joe met & married June Wilson Olson in her hometown of San Angelo on May 29, 1948. After receiving an A.A. degree from San Angelo College (now Angelo State), Joe attended the University of Chicago, where he obtained his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1955. Joe moved to Temple in 1955, to become Chief of Psychology at the VA Medical Center, a position he held until his retirement in December 1989. While there he continuously supervised doctoral students in their clinical training and ultimately established an internship program approved by the American Psychological Association. During many of those years, Joe taught part-time at UMHB, Baylor and the University of Texas, and he was on the faculty of the Texas A&M Medical School, from its inception until his retirement in 1989. He also provided consultation to the Special Education programs of Temple Independent School District and Killeen Independent School District for many years. Throughout his career, Joe was an active member of the American Psychological Association, at the national, state & local levels, and he was a Fellow of the Society for Personality Assessment. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bob, his wife of 60 years, June in 2008 and his daughter, Jan in 2009. He is survived by his children: Miles Rickard and wife, Charlotte of Boerne; Bob Rickard and wife, Lucy of Port Arthur; Martha Young and husband, Greg of Carrollton; and Sarah Munro of Temple; his grandchildren; Erica Case, Sarah Schneider, Alicia Wilson, Michelle Young, Kevin Young, Joe Rickard and Will Munro and four great-grandsons. With deepest gratitude, the family wishes to acknowledge the compassionate and loving care Joe received from Visiting Angels, Scott & White Hospice, and the Heroes Haven unit at the VA in Temple. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.