Richard Meyer Scharlach

Graduating early from Bluffton High School where he was Senior Class President, Dick enrolled in Purdue University. After a couple semesters he enlisted in the US Navy in January 1944. Following basic training and a year of special technical electronics training he was assigned to the USS Ramsay which served as an escort to larger vessels in Hawaii. He was discharged in 1946 and resumed study at Purdue, where he graduated with honors earning a Bachelors Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1949.

After college he began work with Carter Oil (which was later incorporated by Humble Oil and eventually Exxon.). His work in oil exploration took him across the country, and overseas including to Sumatra, Indonesia, where he worked in the early 1950s. His work then lead him to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he met Katherine "Kitty" Orth , whom he married in 1959. Dick's job took the family to Bordeaux France, Denver Colorado and eventually Houston Texas where they settled with their 2 young children in 1966.

Dick was an active member of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church for over 50 years, and served in various roles including as a member of the Vestry and the men's pancake breakfast club. He was an avid fisherman, a bridge player, active in Boy Scouts and enjoyed taking epic cross-country camping trips with his family. After Dick's retirement from Exxon in 1987, he and his wife Kitty began traveling to various destinations around the world.

Dick was preceded in death by his parents Arthur Scharlach and Elizabeth Meyer Scharlach, and his wife Katherine Scharlach. He is survived by his daughter Anne Scharlach, son Richard Scharlach, brothers Donald and Jack Scharlach, sister Joyce Howes, great niece Katie Orth Cash, sister in law Jalaane Orth, and other nieces and nephews.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Saturday August 3rd at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, 12535 Perthshire Rd, Houston Tx 77024, with a reception to follow in the church parish hall.

There will be a private burial at Memorial Oaks Cemetery. In lieu of customary flowers, the family requests contributions be made to Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, to the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org or to a charity of your choice.