Alvin Walton Rickard

Alvin Walton Rickard, 85, of Owensboro, Kentucky and Palm Desert, California, died Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California. Mr. Rickard was born in Sacramento, Kentucky, on January 27, 1922 to Hulen Miller and Clara Agnes Riley Rickard.

He graduated from Sacramento High School in 1940. He attended Anderson Aircraft School in Nashville, Tennessee and was employed by Goodyear Aircraft in Akron, Ohio. In November, 1942, he entered the Army Air Corps. He attended Aviation Mechanics School in Lincoln, Nebraska, Boeing Aircraft School in Seattle, Washington and was stationed in Casper, Wyoming, Delhart, Texas and Alamogordo, New Mexico. He was discharged on February 11, 1946 after forty months of service.

Mr. Rickard attended the General Electric Management Development School in Crotonville, New York and became Manager of Employee and Community Relations at the Owensboro plant. He received the Phillippe Award, GEs most significant award for community service. He retired from General Electric in 1986 after 36 years of service.

He served as President of the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, President of the Owensboro Kiwanis Club, Chairman of the Board of the Wendell Foster Center, Board Member of the McLean County History and Genealogy Museum, Board Member of the Sandpiper Homeowners Association in Palm Desert, California.

He was a member of the Palm Desert Historical Society, the Living Desert Museum and the Agua Caliente Indian Museum of Palm Springs. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Owensboro, where he served as a deacon.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Euleen Rector Rickard; his children, Joan Cheryl Huff (Phillip) of Louisville, Kentucky, Lea Caryl Wilson (Jerry) of St. Louis, Missouri, and Dr. Alvin Daryl Rickard (Darby) of Peachtree City, Georgia; his grandchildren, Melanie Rickard Dale (Alex) of Alexandria, Virginia, Nathan Rickard (Jennifer) of Lexington, Kentucky, Lindsey Wilson of Evanston, Illinois and Andrew Wilson of Fort Worth, Texas; and his sister, Norma Jean Bowman (Gates) of Eddyville, Kentucky.

Memorial Service will be at 11:30 AM February 10, 2007 at Glenn Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 7:00 PM on Friday, February 9 and from 10:00 to 11:00 AM Saturday, February 10. Burial will be at Free Union Cemetery in Sacramento, Kentucky.

Memorial contributions may be made to the McLean County History and Genealogy Museum, P.O. Box 34, Calhoun, Kentucky, 42327.