Richard A. Soukenka Obituary

Hello,
We realize that we are very late to express our deepest condolences, but we wanted to let your family and friends know that we will be sending Care Packages to deployed troops this month and several of these will be dedicated to your loved one. Each package will carry the name, photo and hometown of Richard Anthony Soukenka US Army Sergeant.

We realize that this is a small tribute, but we do this with all respect and sincerity and we want you to know that it is made possible by thousands of like-minded individuals from across the American youth hockey community, their families and friends and others who support our mission.

We will not forget. May God Bless you and keep you safe and strong.

Sincerely,
Charlie Gili & Family
On Behalf of our US Hockey Players Support Our Troops Campaign

February 27, 2012
To the family and friends of Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka:
Always remembering Richard. "Some gave all."

he was my mentor and my friend. He taught me the ropes. alpha was never the same again without him. you greatly missed see you on the other side souky

The last time we spoke, it wasn't for very long. As I was being stationed in Japan. You were married to your high school sweetheart and I still a single man. We said our good byes and off I had went. Brothers forever, hanging out round the pole vault pit. Little did I know that we would have to wait so long 'till I saw you again, didn't want it like this. You never know how much an impact you have on this world till you are looking down from above at those that miss you the most. I miss you Richard. Now I guess I'll have to wait. So please be there when it's my time to go just meet me at those golden gates.

To the family and friends of Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka:
Please accept my remembrance of Richard on the anniversary of his passing and know that he will never be forgotten.
Peggy Childers
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

To the family and friends of Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka:
Remembering Richard on the anniversary of his passing. May our fallen heroes never be forgotten!
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

I went to school with Richard, I believe we met in 7th grade, we were not close, but always got on well. He has made a huge sacrifice, and it will not be forgotten.

I didn't know Richard in the military. I knew him in High School through his first wife. I remember his sense of humor, all the laughs, and the love he had in his heart for my friend. I just found out of his passing. I have his memory in my heart, and I pray that I remember to appreciate his sacrifice.

I know Tony would nogt have had it any other way and he believed in what he was doing. It is never easy facing the death of a family member. Tony was a blast and very cool young man. His bravery will be member and the memories will always be with us. He may have beeen taken but the memories never can be.

Papa to some, Uncle to others and uncle Fino to Tony =
Peace and Love out

Dear Brother,
It's been two years today since the phone calls stopped, but now you talk to us in our hearts. You made so many sacrifices all your life, though always with a smile and that funny giggle. Today and everyday we remember you and honor your life for giving the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all of us. God bless you, Richard, and all who stand with you in Heaven. We love and miss you dearly.
Luv u,
Sis

To the family of Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka:
Richard gave the ultimate sacrifice and will be held in the hearts of Americans forever. I cannot and will not let our fallen heroes be forgotten. My deepest sympathy to you. "Some gave all."
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org

We love our Soldiers! We love our country and we cannot express enough love and compassion to the families. War does not discriminate – It breaks my heart to see the faces of the fallen. We want to give this gift to you. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization! Over 1,400 portraits have been completed and shipped to the parents and or spouse - at no cost as this is a gift from one American to another!
Contact us directly at [email protected] or go to www.heropaintings.com. If you have already had a portrait completed, we pray that you are enjoying the portrait and God Bless You.
Sincerely,
Kenna

Rich, it's been ages since I last spent time with you in CAP. You were always a great guy to have on the team! I'm grateful for the time we had. I'm also very proud of your service to us! God keep your soul and bless your family & loved ones.

To Richard Soukenka Family, I and all americans thank you for a True Hero,I was honor to meet Richard has a fellow pilot @ Chino airport,God Bless his Father George Pruitte!

You are remembered and respected. Thank you Sgt Soukenka!

I wish you had not died. I wish that I could have helped, that i could have done something. After we served together I left the army for a better life and all the while you continued to protect me. I will always feel sorry that i left a job unfinished, that i left others to sacrifice for me. I will bear that cross and remember your name and hope that every one who hears the name Richard Soukenka will know that you where a good man

Richard, I just thought I'd write again. My parents just showed me pictures of your headstone, the wording on it is perfect. Sometimes I still cry, and it's still hard. I can't tell you how much joy and pride you brought to our family, before your pssing, and even after.
Katie ended up not being sent to Iraq, Thank God. Hopefully, they don't end up sending her in the future. Please watch out for her.
Next time I'm down in OSide, I'll stop by with some flowers and say hi. Miss you. Your still in our thoughts. - Kristy

There is nothing that I can say or do to take away the pain or bring you peace in your time of sorrow, but I will offer you and your family my heart felt condolences. I also offer you my prayers that in time the pain will easy and the memories of your HERO will carry you through each day and night. I want to thank your HERO, for his/her selfless act of becoming a member of the armed forces, his/her willingness to defend the United States of America, all that we hold sacred and for the sacrifice that will forever be etched in the memories of all those who knew him/her. Though tears can never bring him/her back, we hope that our tears express our gratitude for the sacrifice that he/she made and our sorrow at his/her passing. I believe for every fallen HERO there is a star shining brightly up above to remind us of the precious gift we were given.

Your mission on earth is complete and you are now a member of GOD’s Heavenly armed forces. Stand down brave warrior and take your rightful place in Heaven with all the HEROES who have passed before.

I made a special promise to LE RON A. WILSON, a dear family friend who joined the Army with three other friends, one of whom is my son (Le Ron was killed in action on 07/06/07 at the age of 18) on the day he was laid to rest as I touched his coffin, that I would never forget him nor would I forget those that gave their lives for our country before him, with him and after him and so when I came across www.legacy.com, I thought what a great way to keep my promise to Le Ron, so I will continue to leave tributes in each guest book until the day there is no longer the need to leave these tributes to a FALLEN HERO.

REST IN PEACE, HERO, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!

PROUD MOTHER OF A U.S. SOLDIER
Currently stationed in Germany
Althea Barrett(Queens, NY)

Thank you for the sacrifice made by Sgt Soukenka and the sacrifice made by everyone who loves and misses him! May God bless all of you!!

I'll miss you and will never forget the good times we shared in Germany way back in '04. Souk your still a legend and will always be with us!

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS. I HAVE JUST LEARNED OF YOUR GREAT LOSS AND WISH TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES. PLEASE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO DO CARE AND YOUR HERO WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. HOLD TIGHT TO YOUR TREASURED MEMORIES THAT HIS SPECIAL SMILE MAY CONTINUE TO SHINE. I PRAY THAT PEACE WILL FIND YOU ALL SOMEDAY. GODSPEED AND SEMPER FI.

A PROUD MARINE MOM

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Richard,
I remember you and I doing guard duty and other missions when OIF first started back in the Old Ironsides days. God Bless you and my deepest sympathy to your family.

As the mother of a son (my only child) who is enlisted in the Army, I want to send my condolences.

Hi Richard,
can I tell other people that you're still here with us? I know, Joni knows, your dad knows... Man, you are just amazing. This was the best sign you gave us. I don't know what to say more... You know what I'm talking about. You helped me to finish my mission.

Stand tall and stand proud, if you are lucky enough to have known such an amazing American Hero. Don't be sad, stand proud.
Maybe your family find peace and comfort during this tough time.

Richard, you and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. We are forever thankful and will try our hardest, to never take the freedom you and so many others fight and die for, for granted.
Sleep peacefully.

My heartfelt sympathies to your family. My heart breaks with each new name added to this list, and I am saddened by your loss. Know that you are surrounded by prayers, grace and the deep gratitude of all who live in freedom. My God hold you in his arms and grant you peace. Please find joy in the memories of your loved one and comfort knowing so many are holding you in their hearts.

Richard,
It saddens our family that you are no longer with us physically. However, it makes me proud that you came into our lives. We gained a cousin that is so caring and loving. We will always cherish the good times when we had our family gatherings. We love you cousin. You will always be in our hearts. Rest in peace cousin and God Bless!!

My dearest Richard, I'll never forget you and everything you did for me. I have so many things I want to tell you that I wish I could say face-to-face, but I know know in my heart that you can hear me when I talk quietly to you. I miss you so much and I wish so bad that were still here, but one day we'll be joined again in heaven. I think of you everyday. You've always been in my heart and always will be. I'll always have the fond memories of us. Even though you can't be here physically, you're with me in spirit and it's nice to know that I can talk to you anytime I want. You're my hero, Richard. You've always put yourself out there, challenging youself one step higher. I couldn't be prouder of you! I only wish you were still here, but it gives me comfort to know that you're resting peacefully. You're in my heart, Richard.

Dear family of Richard. I'm writing you from a small country in heart of Europe Slovakia (exCzechoslovakia). I feel like to say something not only because the last name of you sounds like Czech but because we also had troops in Iraq and I was the one of them. Your Richard is a HERO. We never met but I worked with U.S. soldiers over there. No matter nationality we were like brothers. We loved to talk about what we love the most - about you our families. How much we love you, how much we miss you... Men and women like Richard are doing the best they can helping poor Iraqi people every single day. I wish I could meet Sgt. Soukenka because we are in the same age, just shake hands and say: hey man where's your family comes from? I pray for you from here. Your Richard must live in your hearts and he will. God bless you. Boh vam zehnaj.

Having lost a son in Iraq, I can tell you this:

Don’t cry for what you've lost, smile for what you've had.

I know there is nothing I can say that can lessen the heartache your family is feeling. I also think that it is going to be hard to say things that haven’t already been said. But I can re-confirm with you that Richard is truly a Hero.
A brave man, that was dedicated and loyal to his country. That is something to be very proud of. Few people have that discipline. Be thankful for having had him as a member of your family, and know that one day, you will see him again.

To Richard’s family and friends:
Stand proud. Weep not for Richard. He is still amongst us, he lives in your hearts and memories. He left this world, doing what he chose to do, serving his country.
Be proud that God blessed you to know him and that be thankful that God gave you the time you had with him.

Thank you soldier. Thank you.

It is with deep sadness that I am forced to honor the memory of another fallen Warrior. I ask the family and friends of Sgt. Richard
Soukenka to accept the offer of my most sincere and heart felt condolences. I hope that you know that your loss is shared by a grateful America. Most of whom you have not met and in all probability will never meet. Our nation sincerely appreciates the sacrifices of your patriot.

Freedom is not free; it is paid for by our heroes!

I know the pain parents feel when they loose a child. I lost a son 19 years ago. It is a pain that defies description. It is a pain that never goes away. It is a pain that will never end. It is a pain that is all consuming. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

When Tim died he had two small children, a daughter 6 and a son 3 ½. They are both grown now but they still remember Tim, because we talked about him and how much he loved them. If you do the same when they are growing up they will never forget.

May God Bless and keep you today, tomorrow and forever!

Rest in Peace Brave Warrior; you did your duty with great honor, dedication and in the highest tradition of a proud division.

Semper Fidelis

Richard,
Thank you for your service & dedication to our great country. May God be with your family and bless them during these hard times.
I pray for the safe return of the men and women you fought with in Iraq. I can’t even imagine what it is like over there, the things you all see and have to go through.
Although, I don’t know any of them personally, my heart breaks every time I hear of another fallen soldier.
Remember this: “A HERO is not dead until he is forgotten.” Rest in peace Brother.

It is difficult and painful to hear a news about a fallen soldier but makes it unbearable when it is a member of the family. I am truly sorry for Richard. I have always known him as a very dedicated and proud to serve the Army and his country. My sincere condolences to his family.

There are no words to explain why they serve this great nation of ours. The sacrifices and the courage these fine Servicemen displayed in the face of the enemy and often against insurmountable odds is truly above and beyond the call of duty. 3,200 plus of my brothers and sisters have paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for freedom and democracy.
It is painful to know that one of those fine Servicemen is our beloved brother Richard. My family and I extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to his family and friends. Richard, we “LOVE YOU” and may the grace of God be with you and your family.

To the Family and Friends of Sgt. Soukenka, I extend my deepest and heartfelt condolence. I am truly sorry for your loss. Sgt. Soukenka served with my best friend Spc. Jonathan D. Cadavero, whom also passed away in this tragedy. I am honored to have such brave soldiers fight for our beloved Country. May God Bless you all.

May Richard's family and friends take comfort in the knowledge that he is with the Lord.
My prayers are with you in your time of grief.

Hey Richard...I haven't seen you in sooo long...but I've heard about you through the pipeline. We had good times at Marie's house back in the day. If only all of us could get back there and look through cool books about the Bermuda Triangle and feed Marie's bird those hot peppers (why the bird liked hot peppers? I still haven't found out)...that would be bliss. Good times seemed to have passed us by. Rest in peace.

Richard, you've made our entire family so proud, proud of the person you grew to become. Proud and honored to have known you. home, see you next Friday.

Richard, you will never be forgotten.You will always be in our hearts and thoughts. You gave your life for something you believed in. And will be missed dearly. I will never forget the first time we met, you were so young and to see you again after joining the service you had grown and matured so much and I will always be proud to have been your cousin. You will always be our Hero!!!

“Soldier”
Written to Honor the Service of Our Fallen Soldiers

Soldiers write history…they pay the price
Many miles distant, you live the life
Entered the Battle of our own free will
Out of Duty for Country, and we’d do it still

We hope and pray that all will find peace
In God, in the flag, in memories of valor
Gone now, our pride and courage you see
“An Army of One” our motto forever

Willing to risk all for love of our Brothers
We’re still Your Soldiers…and we showed the way
Our Lives too short, now pray for the others
Lived free died Heroes in lands far away

Deep within souls all cherished our Service
We’ll always have what some never know
Courage and Honor, our names forever
Lived life with purpose…just our time to go

We march in the Heavens with Honor and Glory
Missions accomplished we fought the Good Fight
Many years from now…we’ll tell the full story
Until that Day we will live in the Light

Our lives we laid down in a land far away
Still watching o’er you this night and by day
No need to talk…just know we are with you
There in your hearts and we hear what you pray

Yes we are your soldiers
Our lives we laid down
Still We guard o’er you
Still Duty bound

Entered the Battle of our own free will
Out of Duty for Country, and we’d do it still
We’ll always have what some never know
Lived life with purpose…it was our time to go

May God help and guide you through this very difficult time in you life. My thoughts and prayers are with you in your family in this time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort and love.
God Bless you all!

Richard, you will be honored and respected always. Rest in peace, wish we could have gotten to know you better, you are a hero. Our sincerest sympathies to the family.

To my brother, thank you Richard for everything you've done. Your proud service to our nation and undying love for our family will live on in our hearts. Our heartfelt thanks to those who continue to show support and respect for our Hero. Our love and support also go out to the family and friends of everyone who has had a family member or friend who has fought, fallen or is still fighting in the name of our freedom. God bless you all. Love you bro! Your mission was not in vain and will never be forgotten!
Mom, Dad, Joni (Archuleta) and Kristin (Soukenka)

On behalf of Gold Star Siblings, please accept our heartfelt condolences.

We grieve with you and pray for your family in this time of loss. May the Lord wrap your family in his comfort and may you find peace in the memory of your hero, Richard.

Please know how Deeply Sorry I am to learn of the loss of Sgt. Richard A. Soukenka,
The price this Brave Young Soldier and his family have paid for this country and for freedom, Will Never Be Forgotten.

May Richard rest safely in the Loving Care of God and may the Grace and Comfort of the Lord be with the Soukenka family.
There will Never Be Enough Ways to Humbly Thank these Heroes for their Supreme Sacrifice, my brother among them. KIA~Vietnam, 1967.

"I consider that our present sufferings.
are not worth comparing with the glory
that shall be revealed in us."
Romans 8:18

May you find Peace in knowing the love and memories you have, will remain in your heart forever and that this Country Will Not Forget Richard's Sacrifice.
You are in my thoughts and prayers.

My deepest sympathy to the family and friends of this fallen hero. Know that your loved one will always be remembered with pride and gratitude. May God surround you with love and strength.

We are saddened to hear of the loss of another young soldier, a hero. May God comfort and embrace you during this time of great sorrow. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
In loving memory of our nephew
Lance Cpl James R. Davenport KIA 11/22/06

To the Family and Friends of this Soldier:
I will stand in grief with this soldier's family to honor him. For every fallen HERO there is a bright star that shines in the evening sky to remind us of the cherished gift we were given – even if for too short a time.
My heart breaks again as I sign yet another guest book of another courageous young soldier who gave their life so selflessly. I wish I never found myself in a position to have to sign another guestbook for the rest of my life, but I promised Brent that neither he nor any like him would be forgotten and so I will continue until the day there is no longer the need.
We lost our son SFC Brent A. Adams on 12/1/05 and it seems like yesterday. I wish so badly there were things I could say to you right now to make the pain you are feeling go away, but I know first hand there simply are no words that will bring you the comfort and peace your heart aches for. Just know that you are not alone. My heart, thoughts, and prayers are with you all as you go through this tragedy moment by moment and as you mourn this loss.
We don't know each other, will probably never meet, but will forever be united in the loss of our Heroes. We have, unfortunately joined a group none of us wanted to join, an ever-growing group of families in this situation. May God grant you peace and strength to get through this and be able once again to smile at a memory rather than have only the tears that flow so easily now. To be so proud of your loved one and so saddened at the same time is a mix of emotions very difficult to deal with as our hearts both burst with pride and pain together.
I am sorry that I never knew your soldier personally. While they can never be replaced, neither will they ever be forgotten. You must trust that sometime, someday the loving memories you have will help to sustain you and help you go on. This courageous soldier will forever be your Angel watching over you all for the rest of your lives. It's what brings me some measure of peace and comfort and I hope it will you as well.
To his family and friends in pain, I offer this comfort: When you find yourself in that dark sorrowful place, think not only of how you will miss him, but instead recall the years, days, hours and minutes gifted to you by his presence. The one thing that cannot be taken from you is your wonderful memories that now will mean more than ever.
If you ever want to talk, I'm only an e:mail away and would love for you to tell me more about your Hero.
God Bless this soldier and family who gave all and God Bless legacy.com for setting up this site where families can so quickly share their condolences and prayers with others like themselves.
Proud Parents of SFC Brent A. Adams, KIA, 12/1/05, Ramadi, Iraq
Pam and Bill Adams, Lancaster, PA