RICH GREW UP IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA AND ATTENDED PRINCESS ANNE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE EXCELLED IN HISTORY. RICH WOULD FIND HIS FUTURE WAS HERE IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. IT WAS THE EARLY 1980S THAT RICH WOULD LAND A JOB AS A BREAK IN DEALER AT THE NEVADA HOTEL AND BEGIN A SUCCESSFUL 35 YEAR CAREER IN THE GAMING BUSINESS. AT ABOUT THAT SAME TIME RICH MET ANOTHER BREAK IN DEALER NAMED JANICE. THE COUPLE DATED AND FELL IN LOVE AND WERE MARRIED ON FEBRUARY 21, 1982.
THE COUPLE WOULD HAVE TWO CHILDREN, KATHRYN AND CINDY. RICH WAS PLEASED TO BECOME A FATHER AND DID HIS BEST HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO BE A LOVING AND SUPPORTIVE FATHER TO HIS CHILDREN. HE CLEARLY LOVED KATHRYN AND CINDY VERY MUCH AND THEY ADORED HIM. RICH AND JANICE PARTED WAYS IN 1989 BUT REMAINED CLOSE OVER THE YEARS.
RICH MET SUE HOCKETT AT THE GOLDEN NUGGET IN 1990 AND THE COUPLE STARTED DATING IN 2004. SUE BECAME A DEVOTED AND LOVING COMPANION AND WAS BY RICH’S SIDE WITH LOVING ATTENTION AND SUPPORT RIGHT UP UNTIL HE PASSED AWAY. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE COUPLE SHARED A STONG BOND OF LOVE AND DEVOTION.
RICH FOUND SUCCESS IN THE GAMING BUSINESS AND ENJOYED HIS WORK. HE GOT ALONG WELL WITH OTHERS AND WAS INNOVATIVE SUGGESTING NEW IDEAS AND PROGRAMS. RICH CREATED, ORGANIZED AND SUPERVISED THE DICE TOURNAMENTS AT THE GOLDEN NUGGET.
WHEN HE WASN’T WORKING, RICH ENJOYED STAR WARS, FORREST GUMP AND JOHN WAYNE MOVIES. HE ENJOYED WATCHING THE NEW YORK YANKEES WHILE YELLING AT THE TELEVISON. HE ENJOYED WATCHING GOLF AND PLAYING GOLF AS WELL AS SOFTBALL. RICH PLAYED IN A SOFTBALL LEAGUE BACK IN THE DAY WHERE HE WAS SOLID CENTER FIELDER.
HE LOVED TO TRAVEL AND GO SIGHTSEEING OFTEN TELL HIS DAUGHTES TO “GET IN THE CAR WE ARE GOING CRUISING” AND THEY WOULD END UP AT SOME RANDOM LOCATION.
RICH HAD BOTH HUMOR AND SARCASM AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY “BUST YOUR CHOPS”. HE ALSO HAD A UNIQUE ABILITY TO FALL ASLEEP WHILE STILL HOLDING FOOD IN HIS HAND.
RICH LOVED HIS CHILDREN MORE THAN ANYTHING. ON TOP OF THAT, HIS COMPASSION LED HIM TO HELP PEOPLE IN ANY WAY HE POSSIBLY COULD. HE WAS HIGHLY REGARDED IN HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND BELIEVED IN BEING FAIR AND KIND IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES. RICH HAD THE ABILITY TO REMAIN CALM THROUGHOUT TOUGH SITUATIONS. HE WAS VERY LEVEL HEADED AND QUICK TO LEND A HELPING HAND.
RICHARD ALAN LEMON PASSED AWAY ON JULY 1, 2018. HE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED.
