Richard M. Bigelow

Lt. Col. (ret) Richard M. Bigelow 9/10/1934 - 9/14/2015 Richard (Dick) Bigelow, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away shortly after celebrating his 81st birthday with family and friends. He was born Richard Alfred Malone Jr. to the late Richard Alfred and Maude (Molly) Pruett Malone on September 10, 1934 in Ft. Monroe, Virginia. At a young age, Dick was adopted by his step-father, Eugene Bigelow, acquiring the name Richard Malone Bigelow. He was educated at Warwick High School (Virginia) and was a member of the first class ('59) to graduate from the US Air Force Academy. He received his pilot wings in June 1960 and flew KC-97s, KC-135s, and the HH-53. He served in the Air Force for 23 years, including Air Rescue and Recovery (Thailand '71-'72, Hawaii '73-'75) and completed his military career as the 390th Titan Missile Maintenance Commander (Tucson). Military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Following retirement, he worked at DM Credit Union. Dick, with his wife Bea, was one of the founding members of the Santa Rita HS Booster Club where he was an integral part of constructing the snack bar and baseball dugouts. Dick and Bea enjoyed raising their three children throughout the United States, cheering on their Atlanta Falcons and Braves, and vacationing at casinos in Laughlin and Las Vegas. Dick is survived by his wife Bea of 51 years, children Rich (Sandra), Art (Kandis), Carolyn (Jon), and grandchildren (Brett, Taylor, Artie, Trevor, Zach, Jordan, Josh, and Jamie). He was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Charles and Jonathan Bigelow. A memorial service will be held at Bring's Broadway Chapel in Tucson at 1:00 pm on Friday September 25, 2015. In lieu of flowers, Dick would have preferred donations made to either any local food bank or the Disabled American Veterans.