Posted on 01/08/2019
RICHARD STEPHEN WOLFORD, Captain, USN (Ret.) (Age 92), of Alexandria, VA passed away on December 19, 2018. Treasured husband, father and grandfather, he is survived by his wife of 63 years Helen Wolford; children Allison Niedbala (Tom), Laurie Wolford (Raymond Cline) and Richie Wolford (Maureen); grandchildren Emily and Stephen Wolford, Jake and Sam Cline, and Lucy Niedbala. He was predeceased by parents Stephen and Ethel Wolford and sister Ruth Lowry.
Born January 20, 1926 in Columbus, OH, he enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1944 and later entered the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1949. His naval career included tours of duty aboard the USS Fox, USS Harwood, USS Columbus and USS Constellation. He was commanding officer of the USS Robin, USS Perkins and USS Washtenaw County. Shore duty tours included US Naval Postgraduate School; NROTC instructor; Polaris Missile Program; Boston Naval Shipyard; Destroyer Modernization Program, Naval Seas Systems Command. Following his retirement from the Navy, he was a consulting engineer at several area defense firms.
He was admired for his wisdom, sharp wit and devotion to family. Richard enjoyed golf, traveling, working with his personal trainer, reading Louis Lamour books, and cooking.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, January 12 at Demaine's Funeral Home, 520 S. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA. Interment at Arlington National Cemetery will be scheduled for a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Mt. Vernon Ladies Association, Attn: Development Office, PO Box 110, Mt. Vernon, VA 22121.
Demaine Funeral Home
520 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-0074
Published in The Washington Post on Jan. 5, 2019