Richard was born in the lively oil town of Electra, Texas on July 16, 1928, the son of Roy Chambers, Sr., an oilfield engineer, and Mary Ruth Bates, a loving housewife and mother. Nicknamed “Toot” by his family, he was born 3 years later on the same day as his older brother Roy Junior. The two brothers became as close as they could be.
As a youth in the dusty, arid area around Electra, Richard worked hard to help support his family by working the oat and wheat harvests, then picking cotton. Two important things occurred when he became 16. Richard became a Christian when he gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ; his faith became a plumb line for decision-making the rest of his life. Also, he graduated from Electra High School as the boy who made the highest grade in his class. At the same time, he “graduated” from the harvest field to the oil field working alongside his father and brother. He saved enough money to start college in Wichita Falls (Hardin College, now Midwestern State University). Due to heavy lifting at work, surgery was required to repair an injury, and now with no income, he was unable to continue with college.
In his own words:
“One day, I went to the Post Office to get the mail and saw a poster advertising the Aviation Cadet program and I applied. Three months later I was a cadet at Randolph AFB in San Antonio where I received basic pilot training. Advanced pilot training was at Reese AFB at Lubbock. Upon graduation as a U.S. Air Force pilot and 2nd Lt. on May 12, 1950, I was sent to Mather AFB at Sacramento to fly B-25s for bombardier training. After one year, I was transferred to Waco. I took courses at Sacramento State College and at Baylor University. One time, I ferried an aircraft to New York and flew commercial back to Dallas where my sister and a pretty friend met me at Love Field. That pretty friend happened to be Lucille who became my wife. We were married at the Oak Cliff Methodist Church in Dallas on March 8, 1952 and honeymooned in New Orleans.”
During his 22-year U.S. Air Force career which spanned the Korean and Vietnam wars, Lt. Col. Richard Chambers was stationed many places including Montgomery, AL, Tripoli, Libya, Norman, OK, Wichita, KS, Fayetteville, NC, Amarillo, TX and Fort Churchill (Manitoba, Canada). He also flew in Japan and England. He flew B-25s and C-130s.
Upon retirement from the U.S. Air Force, Richard Chambers flew for Air Texas (Meacham field, Fort Worth, Texas), then Texstar Corporation. “We flew company and clients on business trips. We even flew Miss Texas and her entourage to Atlantic City for the Miss America Pageant in 1972,” Richard once explained. Following these engagements, and ending his flying career at 9,000 hours, Richard became Manager of Skills Training and later Manager of all LTV Training and Development at LTV in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Richard was very active as a volunteer in many capacities. He was a pinnacle leader at his church, chairing, co-chairing and sitting on many committees over his decades of service at First United Methodist Church – Grand Prairie.
Additional philanthropic endeavors included American Red Cross and City of Grand Prairie Medical Transportation driver, organizing class reunions for the U.S. Air Force Pilot Class 50-B reunions, and active membership in the Sam R. Hamilton Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and Grand Prairie Shrine Club.
Richard was an avid golfer, James Bond and western movie fanatic, voracious reader and seasoned world traveler. He loved taking his grandson Matt fishing and to Texas Ranger baseball games.
All of these accomplishments stand on their own merit and cause us to be incredibly proud of him. However, they don't capture the essence of the man known as “Toot”, Kenneth, Dick, Mr. Chambers, Honey, Daddy and Grandpa. Know that he was a man of strong conviction who stood his ground.
Growing up poor, during the dust bowl years in the oil fields of North Texas, helping his mother and father day-in and day-out during the Great Depression only served to forge a deep and passionate love for unrelenting integrity, honesty and compassion for those around him. With a heart unequaled in this modern era by few others, his generosity combined with high intelligence made a good man great.
Whether he was investing his time and wisdom in his children, or his love and attention on his wife, or his money in various endeavors such as oil and gas or a friend's startup business—he was all in. He overcame so much in his early years, and survived several cancers in his later years, that his tenacious, “survivor” spirit inspired all who knew his story.
Richard Chambers, Sr. is preceded in death by his son, Richard Chambers, Jr., his father Roy Chambers Sr., mother Mary Ruth Chambers, sisters Joy Hallmark, Peggy Pool (James), and Mary Cafarella (Joseph), brothers Roy Jr. (Millie) and Wayne (Kathy). He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Lucille Parker Chambers, sons Ronald and Phillip Chambers, daughter Laura (Donnell) Hensley, grandson Matthew Chambers, great-grandsons Jett and Jaxxon Chambers. He is also survived by step-grandchildren Jessica Pulley (Eric), Jon Hensley (Rebecca) and Courtney Smith (Jay) as well as many, many nieces and nephews.
Visitation is on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022 at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Grand Prairie, Texas followed by a Celebration of Life at 11 a.m. Mr. Chambers will be interred at National Cemetery in Dallas on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. Please arrive 15 min. early as they are very prompt.
Please consider making a donation to your favorite charity in lieu of flowers.
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