Richard B. Lanphear

Richard Bartlet Lanphear, 79, of Wyoming, passed at the Cheyenne Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Community Living Center (CLC) on June 24, 2025, surrounded by caring staff and his family.

Richard was born December 11, 1945, in Chatham, NY. He is preceded in death by his brother Thomas and later his parents Harry and Eva. In high school, he was voted class president by his peers. He enjoyed music all of his life and sang in choir. After high school, he joined the U.S. Navy and served two tours of duty in Vietnam (1965-69). His service included electrical engineering and river assault command duties. He was awarded a Purple Heart for his service, as well as other medals.

Returning stateside, he began working for the New York State Thruway, retiring after ten years. During that time he met Dena Gail Secor, and in 1970 they married. By 1972, the couple visited the Colorado Rockies and fell in love with the West. In 1979, they moved from upstate New York to Utah, and he started his career with the U.S. Department of Defense. He worked at Hill Air Force Base as an aircraft electrician and later as a Quality Assurance Specialist inspecting aerospace and defense products in Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado. During his 27-year career with the federal government, he earned many awards, including the special honor of a “Silver Snoopy,” which few people receive. It is an award given by NASA astronauts to recognize excellence in enhanced space flight safety. At his retirement, many people noted how much he had taught them and how his attention to detail would be missed.

An exceptional animal trainer, Richard enjoyed working with dogs. He hunted rabbits with beagles, competed in bird dog trails with German shorthaired pointers, and trained intelligent border collies, which remain family pets. He adopted and broke a wild mustang, Cimarron, and enjoyed the challenge of working with mules, including Toby who had a sweet disposition and Jenny-Bell who was his favorite stubborn mule.

An avid outdoorsman, he hunted and fished, preferring the peace and solitude of nature. He harvested an elk in Colorado, antelope and deer in Wyoming, and especially enjoyed time in the Medicine Bow National Forest. He and his wife loved Western life, with his favorite vacation to the Las Vegas National Finals Rodeo. As a couple, Richard and Dena volunteered for more than a decade at Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD), with a highlight being the times he worked the bucking shoots.

He is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 55 years, Dena, his daughter Heather Marie (and son-in-law Chris Gilstrap), his daughter Brenda Gail (and son-in-law Matt Evertson and grandson Austin Michael McCabe), and his son Michael Brandon (and granddaughter Elizzibeth Rose). His strong will and life lessons live on in their hearts.

A military graveside service will be attended by family and by members of the American Legion, the Navy, and the Catholic Church on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 10 a.m., in Cheyenne Memorial Gardens. The family will have a private celebration of life at a later date.

In lieu of gifts, memorial contributions can be made to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter.

Send family condolences to: www.wrcfuneral.com