Michael "Mike" David Richard, age 74, was born on August 5, 1949, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He fought his battle with ALS the way he lived his life, with grace and dignity. Mike passed away peacefully, at his home in Mandeville on June 23, 2024, surrounded by his wife Debbie and his children.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend services at Grace Funeral Home, 450 Holy Trinity Drive, Covington, LA, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 with visitation beginning at 10:30 AM. Words of Remembrance will be shared at 12:45 PM, followed by the Funeral Mass, officiated by Fr. Mark Lomax, at 1:00 PM. Interment will follow in St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden, adjacent to Grace Funeral Home.
Mike was preceded in death by his parents Albert Joseph Richard and Gertrude Scheel Richard.
He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Debra O'Flynn Richard; his children Michael (Linette), Andrew, Matthew (Kalli), and Abagael Lichtenstein (Christopher) and grandchildren Anderson, Finn, Oliver, Carolina, Viviane, Clara, and Jack. Also, survived by his brother Thomas and a host of nieces and nephews.
Mike lived a life of service, beginning with serving in the United States Marine Corps, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant and was deployed to the war in Vietnam.
After returning home from Vietnam, Mike continued to serve his community, joining the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in 1972, where he served as a Homicide and Narcotics Detective and in the Aviation Unit.
In 1974, he joined the Louisiana State Police where he again achieved the rank of Sergeant. Among his many other recognitions, he received the Louisiana State Police Medal of Merit for "Conspicuous and Intrepid Gallantry at Risk of Life Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" for his efforts rescuing victims trapped aboard a burning oil tanker in the Mississippi River. In 1988, Mike retired from the Louisiana State Police, but his service was far from over. Following his retirement, Mike began his career in Federal Law Enforcement where he served 27 years with United States Customs and Border Protection.
In his spare time, Mike enjoyed carpentry, woodworking and was always volunteering to help others with their projects. He was also a student of history, particularly military history. Amazingly, Mike was also self-taught in designing homes and built several, including some of his family homes.
Mike Richard dedicated his life to serving his fellow man, his beloved country, and loved his family beyond measure. By virtue of how he lived his life, Mike inspired his sons to pursue careers of service.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Michael's memory may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 US, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/; Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, New York 10306 US, https://t2t.org/ or Team Gleason Foundation, PO BOX 24493, New Orleans, LA 70184, https://teamgleason.org/donate/.
