Richard "Rich" James Higgins

Rich graduated from Omaha South High School in 1951, where he served as class president. He and Bev, a Benson Bunny were married shortly after on October 3rd, 1953. He was then drafted into the Army in 1954 and stationed in Georgia shortly thereafter. He served in the Korean War from 1954 to 1956. After leaving the service, Rich returned to Nebraska and then settled with Bev in 1957.

In 1959, Rich joined the Papillion Fire Volunteer Department (PVFD) Inc., of which he was a member for 65 years. He loved serving on PVFD Inc. and helped out his community, regardless of when or where he was needed. Whether he was called out while sitting down to dinner, at a family birthday party, or in the middle of the night, Rich was always ready and willing to be there for his neighbors. Over those 65 years, he got to see the PVFD evolve in big ways. From their initial days of being notified by "call tree", to the use of sirens, to pagers, to plectrons, and now to a fully paid department. Rich got to see it all. He and his son, Raymond, were the last two PVFD Inc. volunteers to hang up their hats.

In 1959, Rich also took a civil service job at the Papilion Post Office. He was the city's first full-time letter carrier and walked his route 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Over his 32 years as a mail carrier, it was estimated that he walked over 60000 miles.

After retiring from the Post Office in 1991, Rich began a part-time job as a school bus driver. Although his first assignment was driving for sporting activities, he soon moved to working with charter tours. This new role allowed Rich to travel to numerous destinations and opened up unique opportunities for him. He especially loved driving for the Omaha Lancers and his yearly College World Series team.

Rich's other interests were Masonic-related. He was Worthy Patron of the Papillion Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Associate Guardian of Bethel #53 Job's Daughters of Papillion, Associate Grand Guardian of Job's Daughters for the State of Nebraska, and a Shriner for the Nebraska Shrine Bowl. In his downtime, Rich also loved word searches, card games, and watching the Price is Right.

Rich was the epitome of selflessness and truly exemplified what it means to put others before himself. As our family has passed through this difficult time, your incredible kindness, compassion, and support has meant the world and reminded us so much of him. We cannot thank you enough for helping us celebrate the man who meant so much to us and truly changed our lives for the better.