Richard E. Hester

Richard E. Hester, age 76 of Birmingham, passed away on August 17, 2022. Rick is preceded in death by his parents; Rufus and Mildred Hester, his brother; Grady Hester and his two grandchildren; Joshua Hester and Derek Carter. Rick is survived by his two children; Keith Hester (Laurel), Lisa Jones (David), his grandchildren; Michael Hester (Melissa), Delaine Hester (Dusty), Gavin Jones and Drake Jones. Rick is also survived by his four great grandchildren and his longtime love; Carol Gamble. Rick Hester went to Phillips High School. He worked at Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI) for many years. He worked at Teledyne Brown Engineering while living in Huntsville. Later he moved back to Birmingham and rejoined CBI. His area of specialty was Quality Assurance. During Rick’s high school years, he and some friends formed a band called The Epics and began playing all around the area. Rick played lead guitar. The Epics recorded three records. In 1964, Rick joined some fellow musicians to form The Townsmen. The Townsmen played all over Alabama. They released three records and stayed together for about five years. Rick continued his love for music throughout his life and most recently performed with the Leeds Connection. They played at nursing homes as well as venues around the Birmingham area. Rick’s love of music led him to join the Alabama Record Collectors Association. Since there wasn’t a chapter in Huntsville at the time, he was instrumental in creating the chapter. He was president for a time. When he moved back to Birmingham, he became active with the local chapter and continued to be a very active member until the time of his passing. He had a vast knowledge of music and loved to share it, whether it was through a performance on his guitar or a speaking presentation. Rick’s brother, Grady, got him interested in Ham radio and he earned his Advanced license. He enjoyed communicating with others who had an amateur radio license. Rick became interested in square dancing by delivering a requested record to his life-long friend Ronnie who was a caller. Rick joined the Eastern Wranglers square dance club. He and Carol were dance partners for over 30 years. People would often tell them how they loved to watch Rick and Carol dance. Rick also enjoyed trying out other dance styles; dancing with the round dancers, the shaggers, and the boppers. Rick was always up for a good joke. His sharp memory made him a great story-teller and he loved talking to people. He was a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was loved dearly and will be greatly missed. A visitation for Rick will be held Tuesday, August 23, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Ridout's Trussville Chapel, 1500 Gadsden Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35235, followed by a funeral service beginning at 1:30 PM. Burial will follow the chapel service at Forest Crest Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ridoutstrussvillechapel.com for the Hester family.