On Monday, March 16, 2020, Richard E Halula, loving husband and father of three adult children, passed away at the age of 75. Private graveside service will be in Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens, Shawnee, KS. ( A Memorial Service will be at a later date. Please check back for an update on the service date and time). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Maranatha Christian Academy’s Scholarship Fund.
Richard was born on October 4, 1944 in Kansas City, KS to Frank and Winifred (Long) Halula. He graduated from Bishop Ward High School (KCK) in 1962. After attending Donnelley College, he married the love of his life, Carol Jean Richards on June 7, 1967. Through sheer force of will and the grace of God, they raised three sons, Timothy, Wesley, and Alan. Despite having flat feet and a bad back, Richard worked on the factory line at Owens Corning Fiberglass for 25 years until his car accident in 1995.
Richard could answer any baseball trivia question imaginable. His passion for classical music started in high school when his choir teacher told him the “music appreciation” class might be a better fit. In the 80’s, he proudly recorded every episode of Alf on VHS and watched them until his passing. In his retirement, he loved to pay for meals with $2 bills. This lead to avid coin-collecting and obsessive coin-giving-away. His smile and laugh were infectious. He choked back tears when talking about his kids, grandchildren, wife, Jesus, the weather, or anything at all, really.
Richard’s faith in Jesus gave him joy in this life and peace about the next. When the doctor told him that he had two weeks to live, he didn’t hesitate to smile and say, “That’s OK. I know where I’m going.”
Richard was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Mae, Paul, Jack, Jean, and Geraldine. He is survived by his wife Carol; three sons, Tim, Wes, and Alan; and three grandchildren, Jesse, Charlotte, and Frank.