Richard Gould Riordan

Richard was the firstborn child of Emily and Charles Riordan and was born in Norwalk, Connecticut on July 20, 1939. He grew up in Trenton, New Jersey and graduated from Ewing High School in the class of 1957. He then attended Rutgers University, where he excelled in the Army ROTC program, and went on to serve in the Army Corps of Engineers after graduating. Thus began two life-long themes: his desire to serve and his love of engineering.

Colonel Richard Riordan served in the military for twenty-seven years. While he was overseas, he met his future wife, Jennifer Talley, through a letter-writing program put on by the local Trenton newspaper. They married in 1969 after he completed his third short tour, and subsequently moved to Chicago and then Bryan, Texas, where he earned his Master’s in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M and his first daughter was born.

After a short stint in Kansas, he and his family landed in Springfield, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., where his second daughter was born. His career included tours in Heidelberg, Germany, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and included working at the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the North Atlantic Division, Army Corps of Engineers. After he retired from the Army in 1989, he came full-circle and headed up facilities management at Fort Belvoir, working on a DynCorp contract for the remainder of his career.

Rich’s life of service didn’t end when he retired from the military. He continued to serve, primarily through the church. He used his facilities management expertise to help keep the church in good working order. He became a Stephen Minister and served on the church Board of Trustees. He also helped his wife Jennifer with her many charitable schemes.

In addition to engineering, Rich loved jazz music, mystery novels, and history. He was an avid football fan and lifelong fan of the Phillies. But more than anything, Rich loved his family.

Richard is preceded in death by his wife Jennifer, his parents, two brothers-in-law (Doug and Don), and two sisters-in-law (Beverly and Barbara).

Richard is survived by his daughters Daphne and Kerensa, his brother Rob, sisters-in-law Judy and Ildiko, and a number friends and extended family members.

The funeral services will take place on March 4 at Sydenstricker United Methodist Church, 8508 Hooes Rd, Springfield, VA 22153. There will be a viewing starting at 1pm in the sanctuary, followed at 2pm by the funeral service, with Reverend Don Jamison officiating. We will move across the street to the cemetery for the burial and then meet at Hottle Hall, in the same building as the sanctuary, for a reception.

The service inside the sanctuary will be streamed online for those who cannot attend. The link is not yet available, but if you would like to have it emailed to you when it is available, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/aL9pMus3M833A3PH7

If you wish to send flowers, please direct them to the church and plan to have them delivered by 10am on March 4. If you would like to donate to a charity in his name in lieu of flowers, please choose your favorite charity.