Dr. Richard Clarence Lantry

Dr. Richard Clarence Lantry, born August 17, 1939 in Canton, OH, passed away on his birthday, August 17, 2024 at the age of 85 due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Richard is preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Ilse Erika Lantry, his parents, two brothers, and a sister. Richard is survived by his son, Bruce (spouse and 5 children and 4 step-children and 1 grandchild), son, Brent (of Kansas City), daughter, Janet (spouse and 1 child), his cat Toby, and 3 sisters. Richard devoted 34 years of his life to the US Army and National Guard, serving in both infantry and officer roles during his service. Richard retired as an LTC, continuing to provide outreach to service members through civilian roles. Richard was also a public-school educator and elementary school principal between his years of service in the Army. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership. He was the principal of Elkhorn Elementary and Hillrise Elementary in Elkhorn, NE in the 1970s and 1980s. He was devastated to hear about the tornado that impacted that community earlier in 2024, though this also brought up many memories.

Richard spent the past 32 years in San Antonio, Texas, making San Antonio his home after retiring from the military. He was born in Canton, OH and later moved to Nebraska, Massachusetts, Maryland, Texas, and Wisconsin before retiring in San Antonio. While living in San Antonio, he was involved in his community through volunteering, enjoying live classical music performances, and being a fan of flamenco dancing, which he enjoyed with his wife. Richard also loved the Spurs. He really loved the Spurs and tried to watch every game to which he had access. He also loved reading and eventually listening to audiobooks. His daughter would also read to him in a sweet reversal of roles at the end of his life. He was always ready to talk about politics and geopolitical issues, often watching every documentary he could find to learn more and engage in more discussion about what was impacting our world. He remained sharp at the end of life through intense debates with his oldest grandson, who was also one of his caregivers, talking in depth about the history documentaries they watched. He really wanted to vote in the 2024 presidential election. Voting was something he made sure happened up until the very end of his life, even when he could no longer write but could still make his intentions known. Please vote in remembrance of Richard!

Richard will be remembered for his sense of humor, storytelling, dedication to justice, making sure everyone’s needs were met, and raising 3 upstanding children who continue to contribute through service to the community. Richard will also be remembered for his love of history and education. Richard will be laid to rest at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Richard requested no services be held at the time of his death. If you wish to make a donation in his name, please consider The San Antonio Food Bank, The Humane Society, relief efforts in Elkhorn, NE, or SpursGive (the non-profit connected to the San Antonio Spurs which supports many community services). And don’t forget to vote!