Born on May 28, 1928, in Carlton, Oregon, Richard “Dick” Durham Sr., passed away on November 1, 2022 in Ripon, Ca at the age of 94.    He is survived by his loving family and wife, Ruth Ernestine Durham, Joanne Balestreri and husband Paul, Richard Durham Jr. and wife Yolanda, James Durham and wife Diana, Chris Etcheverry and husband Pete,  grandchildren, Brenna Outwater, Terry Durham, Heather Sachs, Tom Durham, Jonathan Durham, P.J. Etcheverry, 11 great-grandchildren and one surviving sister, Delores Wright.

   Richard proudly served his country in  the United States Marines, fighting in the Korean War. For decades, he worked for the Manteca Unified School District as the East Union High School Principal. He was instrumental in the founding of Calla High School and was its first Principal. Education was his passion and he was a powerhouse in that field, mentoring many and working tirelessly for students and staff alike.  He was a member of United Methodist Church in Manteca and an avid participant of Manteca Rotary for over 20 years and is a member of the Manteca Hall of Fame. He loved talking with people and had an endless supply of corny jokes.  After retirement he and Ernie enjoyed many years of traveling through Europe. They were doting grandparents and took their grandchildren on many excellent adventures. In his nineties Richard started building birdhouses and would construct over 700 of them before his death.  Dick will be remembered as a devoted husband, educator, father and grandfather. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. 

   Please join us for a celebration of  Dick’s life on Sunday, November 27th, at Spring Creek CC from 11:00 a.m.. to 3:00. For direct condolences to the family visit Dick’s online tribute page at www.plfryandson.com

Manteca (Calif.) Bulletin

Saturday, November 12, 2022