Obituary:
Richard H.D. Piasecki, 85, of Virginia Beach, passed away May 3, 2004, in Sentara Bayside Hospital. Born Sept. 2, 1918, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Louise Hubbard and Zygmont Piasecki, he was predeceased by his wife of 55 years Margaret OConnor Piasecki; brothers, Lawrence of West Chester, Pa., and George of Aston, Pa.; sisters, Adelaide Hoy of Clifton, N.J., and Jessie Chelius of Philadelphia. He is survived by a son, Guy R. Piasecki and his wife Cynthia; two grandsons, Nicholas, Jason and his wife Jennifer; a daughter, Carolyn Tait of Chesapeake; and granddaughter, Joyce and husband Lt. Cmdr. Peter R. Falk, U.S. Navy; two brothers, Edwin, of Hershey, Pa., Albert of Somerset, N.J.; and two sisters, Grace Steihl of National Park, N.J., and Edna Wisnewski of Clifton Heights, Pa.

He joined the Navy June 2, 1936, serving aboard the USS New York, BB-34, the ship was selected to represent the United States in Portsmouth, England for the celebration of the coronation of King George VI in May of 1937. The British Home Fleet was present plus the foreign fleet, including the German pocket Battleship GRAF SPEE representing Nazi Germany. Aboard Destroyer Tender USS DENEBOLA, RD-12 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He participated in the Transfer of 50 old four destroyers to England during the fall of 1940, in exchange of 99 years lease to establish U.S. Bases in British Territory along the U.S. Atlantic Coast and the Caribbean Sea. While serving aboard ROCKWILL, APA-230 he participated in Operation Cross Roads Atomic Bomb Test Able and Baker on Obsolete Naval Target Ships at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, July 1946. USS Erie, PG-50, USS Rockwall APA-230, USS Skagit AKA-105 and USS Shenandoah AD-26. Other duty stations were Kias Coco Solo C.Z., Advanced Base NSD Brisbane, Australia, Naval Station, Argentina, NFLD and NAS Oceana, Va.

A funeral will be conducted Friday at 2 p.m. in Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home, Bayside Chapel, with the Rev. Ernest L. Trueblood officiating. The burial with military honors will follow in Princess Anne Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Davis Corner Rescue Squad, 4672 Haygood Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, Attn: Treasurer for donations.

The Virginian Pilot, page B9, May 5, 2004
Contributor: Deborah VanDeveer (48409315) • [email protected])