Richard R. Harper

HARPER, Richard Roland Richard passed away on June 25, 2022 in Vancouver, WA from pulmonary fibrosis. Richard was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and friend. He will always be remembered for his approachable disposition, strong work ethic, unique sense of humor, generosity and kind heart. Richard was born February 15, 1941 in Spokane, WA to Eddie and Deloris (Van Cleave) Harper. He spent his entire childhood in Spokane, graduating from North Central High School in 1959. He remained close to many of his childhood friends and greatly enjoyed attending his high school reunions. In September 1959 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving over four years at various duty stations in California and in Okinawa, Japan. He was the Platoon Honorman of his basic training platoon. Later, he was recognized for his excellent marksmanship, serving on several base rifle and pistol teams and spending countless hours on the range training other Marines. Following his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Richard settled in the Los Angeles area, finding jobs working for several of the large movie studios and selling insurance. He eventually chose to follow in his father's footsteps to pursue a career as a truck driver, driving primarily for Pacific Intermountain Express and Roadway. His work led to transfers to Coeur d'Alene, ID, and then to Portland, OR. He was very proud of his record of safety and dependability established over the millions of miles driven in his career. On March 28, 1978 Richard married the love of his life, Peggy Rosella Kenney Pederson. They were completely devoted to each other and were inseparable until Peggy passed away May 8, 2022. Richard was very sentimental and loved to make "homemade" cards for Peggy to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. They lived peacefully and happily in Vancouver, WA for over 30 years. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, sister Sarah, wife Peggy, and stepdaughter Bridgett. He is survived by his son Michael Gardiner (Lynne), stepsons Butch Kronlund (Patte) and Joe Kronlund (Patti), and stepdaughter Melissa McKean (Michael), 2 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. The family would like to thank the staff at Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital for the outstanding care and support they provided.

Richard R. Harper

February 15, 1941 - June 25, 2022