Richard Schreckhise

1943 - 2020

Richard Gene Schreckhise, aged 76 died peacefully in his home in Kennewick on April 8th. 2020 He was born on December 3, 1943 in Linn County, Missouri to Randall and Iona Schreckhise. He graduated from high school in 1961 from Rocky Ford High School in Rocky Ford, Colorado. After high school, he completed an associate's degree Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado. He would go on to finish three more degrees from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado: a bachelor's in Biological Sciences, a master's degree in Radiological Health Protection, and a doctorate in Radioecology.

While in Ft. Collins, he began dating Nancy, the woman that would be his wife of 54 years. They were married in 1966. In 1974, with their three children, Gene and Nancy moved to Richland where Gene began work at the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve with Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory. While at Battelle he researched how radioactive material moved through the environment and taught night classes in environmental science at the Joint Center for Graduate Studies. In 1990, he developed the environmental sciences graduate program at Washington State University Tri-Cities and would eventually leave Battelle to work full time at WSU Tri-Cities to serve as the program director for the rapidly growing program. He retired from WSU Tri-Cities in 2006 as the associate campus chancellor.

Gene was a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. He could fix anything that needed fixing. He was an outstanding carpenter who remodeled every square inch of the first home he owned and later enjoyed making custom furniture for his family. He was fan of sports and an enthusiastic traveler.

He is survived by daughter Susie Oram and son-in-law Rob Oram of Richland; son Bill Schreckhise and daughter-in-law Suzannah Schreckhise of Fayetteville, Arkansas; son Randy Schreckhise and Randy's life partner Melissa Holmes of Carlsbad, California; and grandchildren Jake Oram, Megan Oram, Kate Schreckhise, Paul Schreckhise, and Olivia Schreckhise. He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Roger Dean Schreckhise.

A memorial service to celebrate Gene's life will be held on October 11th at 10:30 a.m. at the event center at Einan's at Sunset Funeral Home in Richland, Washington. Friends and family are invited to attend and share memories of the incredible man he was.