Richard Lawrence Spaulding, 91, of Wheelersburg passed away on Thursday January 2, 2025 at McLeod Seacoast Hospital in Little River, SC. Dick was born on December 12,1933 in Nauvoo, OH to the late Wayne F. Spaulding and Eva K. Spaulding.
Dick grew up in Sciotoville. During his childhood years he enjoyed hanging out with his friends, playing sports, running the riverbanks and swimming in the river, much to his mother’s dismay. To keep him and his buddies safe, she bought him a rowboat.
During his high school years, he played sports and excelled as a lineman on the high school football team. One day while playing ball in the street with friends, he noticed a pretty girl riding by on a bike. He found out that she was that little girl just down the street, Jean Booten.” My, how she had grown.” They began dating, enjoying their high school days and hanging out with other couples that would remain lifelong friends.
After graduating from East High, Dick was recruited by Marshall University to play football. As Jean was finishing her senior year, Dick attended classes and played on the freshman team. A friend and fellow student encouraged Dick to sign up for the Marine Corps PLC program for young men in college. The summer of 1953 he was off to training at Camp Upshur in Quantico, VA. One day while crawling through the brush, he rolled over onto a rattlesnake. The bite put him in the infirmary with a swollen leg. The doctors thought they may have to remove some badly infected tissue, but he convinced them to wait one more day and he avoided the knife.
During that summer, Jean had graduated, and they decided to marry. After returning from boot camp, they married on Labor Day. With only enough time and money for a small honeymoon, they spent the weekend in Cincinnati taking in Coney Island and dancing into the night at Moonlight Gardens. Back to Marshall, they began their life together. During their time at Marshall, they had their first and second child.
Dick graduated with a business degree and worked a few years as an insurance adjuster. Child number three came along. They bought their first house in nearby Wheelersburg OH. Chemical manufacturing came to the area and Dick found a home with USS Chemicals in Haverhill. He retired from the site after 30 plus years, working his way up to manager of shipping and logistics.
Wheelersburg was their home for over 60 years. Dick enjoyed the family life, following their kids’ activities, working around the house, working on cars, boating, high school and college football. He was a friend of the Lord and active member of the Methodist church, member of Masonic Lodge #91, an avid Burg Booster, and founding member and longtime supporter of Tan Lan pool.
Dick lost the love of his life in 2017 after 63 years of marriage. In 2021 he decided to move to Calabash NC to be close to family.
Along with his parents and stepfather (Irvin H, Weaver), he was proceeded in death by his wife Regenia A. Spaulding, April 6, 2017, whom he married on Sept 5, 1953 at the Methodist Church in Sciotoville, his brother Charles Spaulding, and sister Katherine Kirby. Dick is survived by two daughters, Kathy (Ken) Hardy and Jan (David) Boot check; and a son Rick (Liz) Spaulding; six grandchildren, Kevin Hardy, Rebecca (Hardy) Ritchie, Jay Spaulding, Jan (Spaulding) Nesteroff, Emily (Boot check) Portal and Sarah Boot check; and ten great grandchildren.
Services for Dick will be at 12:00 on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at Harrison-Pyles Funeral Home in Wheelersburg with Pastor Perry Prosch officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Burial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home, Saturday from 10:00 until the 12:00 service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests Memorial contributions be made to the Wheelersburg Athletic Association in Dick’s name. Contributions can be mailed directly to the Wheelersburg Athletic Association @ P.O. Box 17 Wheelersburg, Ohio 45694 and can also dropped off at the high school or board office marked: Attention Wheelersburg Athletic Association
The family would like to thank the staff at Coastal Pointe Assisted Living in Shallotte, NC for taking such great care of him for the past two years. And we greatly appreciate the professional and compassionate care he received at McLeod Seacoast Hospital in Little River, SC. Condolences to the family may be made at www.harrison-pyles.com.
