Richard Wells

Born to Ruth and John Wells in Manhattan, Kan., on November 6, 1948, Richard lived for most of his childhood and early adult years in Lakewood, Colo. He graduated from Lakewood High School, then attended Colorado State University, where he met and married Dale Kay McCullough, on September 14, 1969.

With a Master’s Degree in Entomology, Richard worked briefly for the State of Colorado. Then he and Dale moved to Edgewood, Md., where he worked nearly 35 years for the Department of Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground. He traveled to military bases around the world, inspecting and mitigating problems caused by various indigenous insects.

Richard and Dale’s sons Michael and Andy were born in Maryland. After Richard learned to sail, the family spent many hours exploring the Chesapeake Bay on their boat. A history buff, Richard visited all the major Civil War battlegrounds on the East Coast, and traveled to Egypt to view the Great Pyramids and Peru to visit Machu Pichu. He was an excellent wood carver, specializing in bird species.

Richard retired from the DoD in 2008, and he and Dale moved to Edgewood, New Mexico, where they were perfectly situated to visit their parents and a son in Colorado, a son in southern Nevada, and Dale’s sister in Tucson. Shortly after moving there, they became pet parents to Sophie, a Yorkshire Terrier. They also acquired a 5th wheel travel trailer and, in 2017, purchased a park model home near Tucson that allowed them to leave New Mexico during the winter.

Richard, Dale and Sophie “sailed” the Western and Midwestern states in their 5th wheel, on their own or with a group of 5th wheelers from New Mexico. One of their most memorable treks was a three-month trip from Edgewood to Alaska and back in 2017. Richard and Dale also traveled to China to celebrate their son Andy’s wedding.

With his son Michael, Richard also climbed more than 30 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot-plus mountains, and hiked almost weekly with a group in Albuquerque and one in Tucson. He also took a two-week float trip through the Grand Canyon with his Tucson hiking group. When he died, Richard was fulfilling his “bucket list” wish of seeing the Northern California redwoods and Oregon seacoast.

Richard is survived by his mother Ruth; wife Dale; sons Michael and Andy; sister Deborah; and brother Thomas. His father, John, preceded him in death.

He is missed by them, and by his many, many friends.