Obituaries 2-3

Maj. William Alexander Richards

Maj. William Alexander Richards, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away peacefully at his home Jan. 25, 2012, at the age of 77.

Bill was born in Albuquerque, N.M., on March 23, 1934. He was a highly decorated pilot and veteran who served in Vietnam. He retired in 1974 after 20 years of service.

After retirement, Bill completed his B.S. in accounting from the University of West Florida. He was employed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court as an accountant and Data Center supervisor for 22 years.

During his long life he loved to read and garden, loved to sail and fish, and traveled extensively with his wife and family. His crowning adventure was a trip with his wife, Carmen, to the Holy Land in March 2011. He loved and served the Lord and was a great patriarch to his family. He will always be remembered for his loving nature and great sense of humor.

Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carmen Richards; sons, William Jr. (Debbie) Richards, Steven (Dorothy) Richards, and Mark (Dianne) Richards; daughters, Emily (Mark) Ketchum, Maria (Tim) Dahn, and Joyce Richards; 16 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 at Covenant Community Church in Fort Walton Beach. A private interment will take place on Feb. 6 at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Family Life Ministries of NW FL Inc., P.O. Box 250, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.