Richard Lyon Palace

He was 88.

Born and raised in White Plains, New York, he was the youngest child of Johnny and Margaret Palace. During his childhood, he displayed his curiosity for anything mechanical by taking apart everything from sewing machines to lawnmowers, much to his family's chagrin. When his father asked him why, his answer was, "I wanted to see how it worked."

This curiosity transferred to a more practical purpose when, after attending White Plains High School, Richard enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1955. Stationed in Rhode Island, he was an Aviation Metal Smith, working on planes until his Honorable Discharge in 1958.

Shortly after he left the Navy, he married Clair Herlihy, of Yonkers, N.Y., and settled in the Hudson Valley. They started a family while he honed his skills as a welder, pipefitter and all-around problem-solver at the Standard Brands/Fleischman's factory in Montrose, N.Y. where he soon gained the reputation as "the guy who could fix anything."

While living in Fishkill, N.Y., Richard was active in the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church musical theater productions, both backstage and in the cast, as well as singing in the choir, providing an outlet for his innate desires to utilize his strong tenor voice and perform. Desires, no doubt, inherited from his father, an ex-Vaudeville entertainer.

In 1977, with a third child on the way and the factory slated to close, Richard made a bold and daring decision when he moved the family to Texas, where the job market on the Houston Ship Channel was said to be robust. Settling in LaPorte, the family slowly adjusted to the very different environment as the once thriving job market had already reached it's peak. In 1982, Richard and Clair went their separate ways with Richard seeking work elsewhere along the Gulf Coast. When the economy rebounded, he returned to LaPorte, re-married and became a Journeyman Instrument Fitter at the Shell Refinery.

After retiring from the arduous life of refinery work, he pivoted to delivery driver for Allen and Kerber Auto Supply in LaPorte, where he became a well-known, friendly and knowledgeable fixture around town until his second retirement in 2016 at the age of 79.

Throughout the years, Richard, or "Uncle Richie" as he was fondly called by a multitude of nieces and nephews, always exemplified a strong work ethic and was a reliable co-worker, thus earning the respect of his peers. In his time off, he was a gardener, who loved growing his own vegetables, as well as an avid bowler and dancer, with the crowds at Sylvan Beach Day seeing him square dancing on stage in front of the pavillion. Though he rarely took vacations, during his time off with friends and family, his contagious sense of fun and sense of humor demonstrated that he also knew how to enjoy life.

Richard is survived by his three children: Victoria (Keith) Stevens, of Cartersville, Georgia; Mark Palace, of Manorville, New York; and Scott (Angela) Palace of North Richland Hills, Texas; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother John, sisters Dorothea and Patricia, daughter-in-law Sara Palace and granddaughter Anne Catherine Palace. He is welcomed into Heaven by them and a host of loving friends and family.

A visitation will be held at Grand View Funeral Home, located at 8501 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, Texas, 77505, on August 18, 2025, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Immediately following, he will be laid to rest at Grand View Memorial Park.