Richard Thomas Vreeland

Richard Thomas Vreeland, son of Clarence Louis and Grace Troy Vreeland, went to be with his Lord and Savior on April 14, 2024, at Riverside Cottages in St. Augustine, Florida. Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Rich grew up in Nutley, New Jersey. He graduated from Nutley High School in 1952 and attended Northeastern Bible Institute before joining the Army. Stationed at Fort Monmouth, he served in the Signal Corps. After being honorably discharged, he volunteered as a missionary worker with Trans World Radio on Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, from 1964 to 1965.
In 1966, he succeeded his late grandfather in running the industrial non-ferrous fastener
business, T.A. & D.A. Troy Company and married his beloved wife, Faith Wilson. They raised
their three sons in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, before retiring in 1987. Following retirement,
Richard and his family relocated to St. Augustine, where he established a real estate management business.
A lifelong pilot, Rich provided transportation on behalf of the National Burn-Victim Foundation to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston, in his cherished Cessna 210 Centurion. His hobbies also included canoeing and sailing.
Richard's spiritual journey began at the age of 12 when he accepted Christ Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He served as a member of the Gideons and on the boards of Africa Evangelical Fellowship, The Metropolitan New York Area Youth for Christ and The Board of Governors of Northeastern Bible College. He was a Sunday school teacher, church elder, trustee and pastoral assistant.
Known for his compassionate heart, Rich had many friends with unique needs that he cared for, with a remarkably kind spirit of generosity. He is survived by his wife, Faith Eleanor Vreeland, his sons Thomas Richard (Kay Vreeland), Scott Wilson, Andrew John (Heather Vreeland) and his beloved grandchildren Natalie Vreeland, Asher Vreeland and Ada Vreeland. We await the resurrection, when we will worship and serve our Lord together again.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 6pm on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at Crescent Beach
Baptist Church with Dr. David Beauchamp officiating.
St. Johns Family Funeral Home and Crematory, St. Augustine, FL, is in charge of arrangements.