Richard John McCrea passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2009, following a brief illness. Born on May 7, 1921 in Brooklyn, NY to John McCrea and Julia Osborne McCrea, Dick moved to California with his mother and her family before his first birthday. Sometime around the age of three years, he picked up a ball and began a life-long love with baseball. During the time he was a youngster picking crops with his family during the Great Depression, Dick changed his care-free attitude toward school and began to focus on study with the goal of someday going to college. Years later after working his way through as a student, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in 1942 from Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo. Shortly after graduation, he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII and was based in the Pacific at Guam. After the war and an honorable discharge from the Army, Dick began his career as an agricultural inspector with the Department of Agriculture for Los Angeles County. In 1946, following a two -year courtship, Dick married Dorothy Louise Walker, the love of his life. In 1972, Dick received a Master of Arts degree in entomology from California State University-Long Beach; his thesis was original research on the dichondra flea beetle: chaetocnema repens McCrea. Following his graduation, Dick became an entomologist in the Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture. After retiring as a Deputy Agricultural Commissioner in 1979, he and his wife "Dot" moved to a new home in Paradise, CA.
Over the years Dick had many hobbies, which included working on custom automobiles with a close friend; photography; building stereo sound systems; listening to organ and many other types of instrumental and vocal music; and gold dredging. However, what Dick enjoyed most of all were sports: competitive diving in college; boxing while in the Army (he was on the same ticket as Joe Louis); drag-racing; boating; basketball; jogging; brisk walking; and, most of all, baseball. Dick enjoyed playing on hardball and softball teams while living in Los Angeles County where he pitched, caught, played center field, and short stop. After moving to Paradise, he played on softball and slow-pitch teams. He especially enjoyed playing ball with the local team, the Bombers, sponsored by lifelong friend Ken Stickel of Ken's Automotive Service.
Dick is survived by his wife Dorothy; his daughters, Diane Christensen and Deborah McCrea; his grandchildren, Lisa Butcher, Erin Estrup, Katie Christensen and Devin Christensen; and his great-granddaughter Venice Butcher. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and his many friends and acquaintances.
A viewing will be at Rose Chapel in Paradise on Thursday, May 21 from 4 - 8 p.m. and a graveside service will be at the Paradise Cemetery on Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to youth softball programs through the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town of Paradise..
Published in Paradise Post from May 23 to May 26, 2009
Over the years Dick had many hobbies, which included working on custom automobiles with a close friend; photography; building stereo sound systems; listening to organ and many other types of instrumental and vocal music; and gold dredging. However, what Dick enjoyed most of all were sports: competitive diving in college; boxing while in the Army (he was on the same ticket as Joe Louis); drag-racing; boating; basketball; jogging; brisk walking; and, most of all, baseball. Dick enjoyed playing on hardball and softball teams while living in Los Angeles County where he pitched, caught, played center field, and short stop. After moving to Paradise, he played on softball and slow-pitch teams. He especially enjoyed playing ball with the local team, the Bombers, sponsored by lifelong friend Ken Stickel of Ken's Automotive Service.
Dick is survived by his wife Dorothy; his daughters, Diane Christensen and Deborah McCrea; his grandchildren, Lisa Butcher, Erin Estrup, Katie Christensen and Devin Christensen; and his great-granddaughter Venice Butcher. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and his many friends and acquaintances.
A viewing will be at Rose Chapel in Paradise on Thursday, May 21 from 4 - 8 p.m. and a graveside service will be at the Paradise Cemetery on Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to youth softball programs through the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town of Paradise..
Published in Paradise Post from May 23 to May 26, 2009
Richard John McCrea passed away on Sunday, May 17, 2009, following a brief illness. Born on May 7, 1921 in Brooklyn, NY to John McCrea and Julia Osborne McCrea, Dick moved to California with his mother and her family before his first birthday. Sometime around the age of three years, he picked up a ball and began a life-long love with baseball. During the time he was a youngster picking crops with his family during the Great Depression, Dick changed his care-free attitude toward school and began to focus on study with the goal of someday going to college. Years later after working his way through as a student, he became the first in his family to graduate from college. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in 1942 from Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo. Shortly after graduation, he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII and was based in the Pacific at Guam. After the war and an honorable discharge from the Army, Dick began his career as an agricultural inspector with the Department of Agriculture for Los Angeles County. In 1946, following a two -year courtship, Dick married Dorothy Louise Walker, the love of his life. In 1972, Dick received a Master of Arts degree in entomology from California State University-Long Beach; his thesis was original research on the dichondra flea beetle: chaetocnema repens McCrea. Following his graduation, Dick became an entomologist in the Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture. After retiring as a Deputy Agricultural Commissioner in 1979, he and his wife "Dot" moved to a new home in Paradise, CA.
Over the years Dick had many hobbies, which included working on custom automobiles with a close friend; photography; building stereo sound systems; listening to organ and many other types of instrumental and vocal music; and gold dredging. However, what Dick enjoyed most of all were sports: competitive diving in college; boxing while in the Army (he was on the same ticket as Joe Louis); drag-racing; boating; basketball; jogging; brisk walking; and, most of all, baseball. Dick enjoyed playing on hardball and softball teams while living in Los Angeles County where he pitched, caught, played center field, and short stop. After moving to Paradise, he played on softball and slow-pitch teams. He especially enjoyed playing ball with the local team, the Bombers, sponsored by lifelong friend Ken Stickel of Ken's Automotive Service.
Dick is survived by his wife Dorothy; his daughters, Diane Christensen and Deborah McCrea; his grandchildren, Lisa Butcher, Erin Estrup, Katie Christensen and Devin Christensen; and his great-granddaughter Venice Butcher. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and his many friends and acquaintances.
A viewing will be at Rose Chapel in Paradise on Thursday, May 21 from 4 - 8 p.m. and a graveside service will be at the Paradise Cemetery on Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to youth softball programs through the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town of Paradise..
Published in Paradise Post from May 23 to May 26, 2009
Over the years Dick had many hobbies, which included working on custom automobiles with a close friend; photography; building stereo sound systems; listening to organ and many other types of instrumental and vocal music; and gold dredging. However, what Dick enjoyed most of all were sports: competitive diving in college; boxing while in the Army (he was on the same ticket as Joe Louis); drag-racing; boating; basketball; jogging; brisk walking; and, most of all, baseball. Dick enjoyed playing on hardball and softball teams while living in Los Angeles County where he pitched, caught, played center field, and short stop. After moving to Paradise, he played on softball and slow-pitch teams. He especially enjoyed playing ball with the local team, the Bombers, sponsored by lifelong friend Ken Stickel of Ken's Automotive Service.
Dick is survived by his wife Dorothy; his daughters, Diane Christensen and Deborah McCrea; his grandchildren, Lisa Butcher, Erin Estrup, Katie Christensen and Devin Christensen; and his great-granddaughter Venice Butcher. He will be dearly missed by his loving family and his many friends and acquaintances.
A viewing will be at Rose Chapel in Paradise on Thursday, May 21 from 4 - 8 p.m. and a graveside service will be at the Paradise Cemetery on Friday, May 22 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to youth softball programs through the Parks and Recreation Department of the Town of Paradise..
Published in Paradise Post from May 23 to May 26, 2009
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