Richard was born in Philadelphia, PA, on May 10, 1939, to Michael Darcy and Anne, née Cunningham. He graduated from Saint John Neumann High School in 1957 and La Salle College (now University) in 1961. He completed ROTC and was commissioned as an officer in the US Army after graduation. He served first in the Field Artillery and then the Finance Corps, with two tours in Vietnam and one tour in Cambodia. Throughout his career he was stationed in France, Germany, and many locations around the US.
Richard retired from active duty in 1989 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He entered civilian life as an accountant for the American Chemical Society in Washington, DC. He retired from ACS in 2011.
He married his wife, Geraldine, née Hickie, in 1976, with whom he had two children: Erin and Conal.
Richard was an active volunteer in his community, holding leadership positions in local chapters of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Annapolis Light House Shelter, and other service organizations.
He was an excellent writer and poet. He loved to ski and travel, often combining the two with trips to the Alps. He made a lifetime hobby of learning French and in later life made extended trips to France to improve his language skills -- and to reaffirm his appreciation for quiche and wine. He was fond of animals, especially cats, and made sure he always had them in his life.
He couldn’t help but make friends wherever he went. He had a silly, wacky sense of humor, often breaking into song and dance when the spirit moved him. He was much beloved by his friends, family, and colleagues, and will be sorely missed.
Richard is predeceased by his wife and two brothers, John (Jack) Darcy and Thomas Darcy. He is survived by his two children and by his brother, Michael Darcy, of Jenkintown, PA.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Mary’s Church in Annapolis, MD, on May 11, 2024 at 9 a.m. A reception for friends and family will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, two organizations Richard greatly supported.
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