Oscar G. Richard III

Oscar Gabriel Richard, III died Tuesday evening at the age of 91 surrounded by his children and grandchildren after a long, remarkable life. He was born on December 7, 1921 at the home of his maternal grandparents on Laurel Street in Baton Rouge. He grew up in Sunshine, Louisiana, where his mother was the postmaster and his grandfather had established a dry goods store. The old family store is now Roberto's Restaurant on the River Road in Sunshine. The day after his graduation from LSU's School of Journalism in June, 1942, Oscar enrolled as an aviation cadet in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He qualified for all three flight crew officer categories: pilot, bombardier and navigator, but was selected for bombardier training. After training, he was assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group of the Eighth Air Force, stationed at Grafton Underwood, England. On its third mission, Oscar's B-17 bomber was hit by flak over Abbeville, France. After releasing his bomb payload, Oscar bailed out but was captured and taken prisoner by the Germans. He withstood interrogation, giving up only his name, rank and serial number, and endured almost two years of captivity at Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany. Following the prison camp's liberation by the Russian Army in June 1945, Oscar made his way home to Sunshine in July, 1945. Oscar was honorably discharged as a First Lieutenant and later rose to the rank of Captain in the Air Force reserves. On September 20, 1947, he married Billie Ruth Gathright. Oscar began his career at LSU shortly thereafter, starting as a publications editor and ultimately becoming the Director of Public Relations before retiring in 1983. He designed LSU's Centennial Medal in 1960, and during his tenure he directed the operations of the Rural Life Museum and the Anglo-American Art Museum. The Rural Life Museum was the setting for a festive party celebrating his 90th birthday in December 2011. Interviews with Oscar about his LSU career are housed in the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at LSU. He and Billie had five children, Kathleen, Donna, Linda, Kelly and Reed, and eventually thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. After retiring from LSU, Oscar spent much of his time designing and creating fine pieces of furniture. His children were the primary beneficiaries of his many works of art made from wood. He was inducted into LSU's Ole War Skule Hall of Honor in the fall of 2003 and into the Manship School of Mass Communication's Hall of Fame in 2007. He rarely missed an LSU home football game, including the entire 2012 season, where he sat in a reserved seat in the press box. Oscar and Billie were among the first parishioners at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. He also served on the board of directors of the Foundation for Historical Louisiana. In 2000, the LSU Press published his memoir of his experiences as an aviator and prisoner of war, entitled Kriegie: An American POW in Germany. As a result of his book's success, he was in great demand as a speaker. He regaled audiences with his encyclopedic knowledge of history combined with his own fascinating stories of his experiences as a member of the mighty Eighth Air Force. All of the men in his B-17 bomber crew made it safely home and all remained close friends until their deaths. Oscar was the last of the group to pass. Oscar will be greatly missed by his surviving children and their spouses, Kathleen Callaghan and John Broussard, Donna and Michael Rainone, Kelly and James Brown, and Reed and Lori Richard. His wife Billie, their beloved daughter Linda Abadie, and grandson William David Brown predeceased him. He was also preceded in death by parents, Oscar Gabriel Richard, Jr. and Abigail Callaghan Richard, brothers Bobby and Barry Richard, and sister Betty Fernandez. Other surviving members of his family include grandchildren, Max Magbee, Caitlin Magbee, Chris and Kristen Rainone, Louise and Mike Musial, Gabriel and Haley Rainone, Robert Rainone, Raymond Rainone, Ellen Abadie, Kelly Abadie, James and Rebecca Brown, Ben Brown, Nicholas Brown, Samuel Richard, great-grandchildren Gus and Louis Musial, and son-in-law Chris Abadie, Linda's husband. He is also survived by sisters Carolyn Landaiche of Sunshine, LA and Virginia Harkins of Baton Rouge. Arrangements handled by Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., www.rabenhorst.com. Visitation at the funeral home, from 5-7 p.m., Friday, May 10, and from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Saturday at St. Aloysius Catholic Church immediately followed by funeral mass. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Rural Life Museum, the LSU Foundation, or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.