Richard H. Colby Obituary

Richard H. Colby attended Lyons Township High School in Lagrange, IL. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Richard H. Colby.

Graduation Year	Class of 1947
Date of Passing	Apr 05, 2016
About	Richard Harvey Colby passed away at his home in Yuba City, CA on April 5, 2016. He was 86 years old. Born May 28, 1929 in Topeka, Kansas to George and Estalene (Harvey) Colby, Richard moved to California with his family as a teenager. During the Korean War he joined the US Air Force, then transferred to the Army to attend Officer Candidate School. He was stationed in Fort Ord, California, achieving the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He was honorably discharged from the Army after the war and then joined the National Guard, where he rose to the rank of Captain. While at Fort Ord, he met and married the love of his life, Patricia Lou Parker. The couple settled in Durham in 1965, where they raised their four children. Richard worked as a political consultant and served as the campaign manager for Assemblyman and Congressman Gene Chappie. He was active in the community, managed a Little League team, then later served as an umpire and league president. He was a board member of the Durham Recreation and Park District and was instrumental in getting the first community pool in Durham built. His community outreach also included founding the first newspaper in Durham. Richard moved his family to Yuba City in the late ‘70s and spent the rest of his life there. He owned nursery and direct mail businesses, worked for the harness racing industry, and was president of the Western Standardbred Association. Richard worked hard for the passage of legislation that created the California Sire Stakes. Among his many passions, Richard loved sports, camping, fishing, reading, writing, politics, Dixieland jazz, and gardening. He was an expert gardener, specializing in azaleas and Japanese Maples. Richard was preceded in death by his parents and his wife Patricia. He is survived by his children, Greg Colby of Chico, Rick Colby of El Dorado Hills, Laura DuBose of Durham, and Vickie Wyche of Yuba City. He also leaves behind ten grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and two brothers, Thomas Colby of Cottage Grove, Oregon and Harry Colby of Spring Branch, Texas. Funeral services were held at Sutter Cemetery, Sutter, CA at 11:00 am on Monday, April 18.