Richard Joseph Strachan

Colonel Richard J. Strachan, US Army retired, of Windcrest, TX, passed away on November 23, 2025. He was a 30-year veteran who served overseas in Germany, France, and Vietnam. Stateside, he served at Fort Hood, TX, Walter Reed, the Office of the Surgeon General as Consultant to the Surgeon General for Information Systems, and Fort Sam Houston as the Information Systems Officer at Health Services Command. Among his decorations are the Legion of Merit with 2nd oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with 3rd oak leaf cluster, and the Medical Service Medallion.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Frederick T. and Veronica A. Strachan of Wareham, Massachusetts; his sisters, Jane Lima of Taunton, Massachusetts, and Martha Strachan of Worcester, Massachusetts; his brother, Frederick Strachan of Lyman, Maine; and his son, Scott Strachan of San Antonio, Texas.

Richard leaves behind his beloved wife of 60 years, Doris; his daughter, Tanja Solano, of San Antonio, Texas; and two granddaughters, Kristina and Vanessa Solano, also of San Antonio, Texas.

Colonel Strachan grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts. He received a degree in Math and Education from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Masters degree in Computer Systems from American University in Washington, DC. He was also a dedicated and competitive golfer, having won club championships at Crofton, MD, Ft. Sam Houston, and Windcrest, TX. He also won the Army FORSCOM Eastern Regional Senior Golf Championship in 1978.

Although proud to have served his country, his true passions were teaching and coaching children. He was very active in youth sports, spending years coaching t-ball, softball, and basketball. Upon retiring from the Army, he pursued a long-delayed career in education, completing post-graduate courses at what is now Texas State University. He then accepted a teaching position at Canyon Middle School, New Braunfels, TX, where he taught honors Algebra. During his 12 years at Canyon, he also had the opportunity to coach girls basketball for 3 years, and both girls and boys golf for 7 years.