Richard Whitlock

1944 - 2025

Richard Whitlock
08/03/1944 - 08/09/2025
Richard David Whitlock entered into larger life on Saturday, August 9, 2025 surrounded by his family. Richard was born in the rural northeast Texas town of Cooper, TX during the second World War while his father was away in the Pacific Navy theater. Richard graduated from Cooper High School in 1962 and went to the University of Texas where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1967. He began his career working for McDonnell Douglas in Santa Monica/Huntington Beach, CA (where he met his wife Owen). It was there he earned a Master's Degree in Engineering at University of California, Irvine in 1971. In 1972 he and Owen drove across the country to move to Hagerstown, MD where he worked at Fort Ritchie for eight years for the Army while they had both their boys. In 1980, he and the family moved to Houston, TX where he worked at NASA, Johnson Space Center as a Civil Servant for over 20 years before retiring in 2006.
Richard was very active in his family's lives, coaching his son's soccer, basketball, and baseball teams as well as serving as a Scout Leader. He was also involved at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Nassau Bay, TX, as a youth group leader, Sunday School teacher, Greeter, and leader of the Usher ministry for many years.
Richard and Owen loved to travel, taking the family on numerous trips across the United States and Europe before their sons went off to college. They then took "dozens" of cruises both oceans and many seas. Their travels include a number of "once-in-a-lifetime" trips to places like the Pyramids, Russia, Normandy, Australia, the Panama Canal and anywhere else they could find a cruise or excursion.
His other hobbies included watching classic movies, running, brain puzzles, going to "hundreds" of Texas Longhorns and Houston Cougars football games (including a Rose Bowl) and Houston Astros baseball games including most of the playoff games and especially 2022 World Series Game 6. He also loved to put on a neighborhood "Treasure Hunt" party for friends matching his wits against teams trying to figure out his clues.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents Richard Truman, and Faye Alexandra (Coston) Whitlock. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Owen Metzger Whitlock, his sons and daughters-in-law David and Melissa Whitlock, and Richard Alexander and Camille Whitlock, as well as two granddaughters, Julianne and Audrey Whitlock. He is also survived by his three "sibs", Marilyn Cox, Martha Phillips, and Edwin Whitlock as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Private services will be held at a later date.