Funeral services for Richard Abbay Blackman will be at 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 18th at East Side Baptist Church in Killeen with Reverend John Hallum officiating. Interment service will follow at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery.
Mr. Blackman died March 5, 2019 in a local nursing home. He was born September 29, 1926 in Kirkwood, MO. He moved to Beaumont, TX with his family. He joined the Navy in 1944, serving aboard the USS Flint (CL 97) until 1946 when he was discharged.
He married Joyce Williams Blackman in June of 1962 and attended East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas. He moved to Bridgeport, Texas and taught at the Bridgeport ISD until he moved to Killeen, Texas in 1976. He taught at Nolan Middle School and then at Killeen High School until his retirement in 1991. He was an active member at Eastside Baptist Church in Killeen.
Mr. Blackman was preceded in death by his father, Hays William Blackman, his mother, Mary Elizabeth Blackman, his brother, Hays Blackman, his brother, Charles Blackman, his brother, William Blackman, his sisters, Billie Blackman and Betsy Blackman Creel, his wife of 53 years, Joyce Williams Blackman, his son Kenneth Blackman. He is survived by his son, Ronald Blackman, of Killeen, Texas; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be 3:00-5:00 PM Sunday at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen which is in charge of the arrangement. The family requests that an honorarium be made to East Side Baptist Church 500 N. WS Young Drive in Killeen, Texas in lieu of flowers.