- Date Of Birth: May 28, 1928
- Date Of Death: March 30, 2020
- State: Florida
On Monday, March 30, 2020, Richard Andrew Lenz, loving husband and father of four children, passed away at the age of 91- and a half. He is survived by his wife, Amy Ruth; children Deborah (Oliver), Richard (Michelle), Sandra (Leland) and Robert (Mona); seven grandchildren; and one great grand daughter. Richard was born on May 28, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio to Andrew Walter Lenz and Jessie Collins Lenz. Early on he had two loves, flying and singing.
Richard served 20 years in the USAF and retired as a Command Pilot at the rank of Major. While serving in the Air Force he was deployed to Vietnam where he flew the AC-47 “Spooky” gunship. His heroic actions while flying in close support of ground forces earned him two Distinguished Flying Crosses and twelve Air Medals. He and Ruth traveled the U.S. and Germany, wherever the Air Force took them. His last assignment was Dobbins AFB, where he and Ruth settled down and bought their first house in Smyrna, GA. There they shared their love of gardening – and Richard shared his love of chopping down trees and building fires.
When he ran out of trees, in 1997, they moved to Melbourne, FL. where they found their dream home in their dream neighborhood. In addition to the garden, Richard was known for his self-designed wooden boat models and for the rest of his life, he continued to build his fleet. Richard was sharp; he remembered every fact he ever knew. And, as long as it wasn’t 3:00 pm (General Hospital) or 7:00 pm (Jeopardy!), he could and would tell you pretty much anything about everything, especially Germany and foreign TV shows.
Sorrowful goodbyes to a devoted husband and dad; your pain and worries are over. Now you can sing the Lord’s Prayer for all in Heaven.
