John Allen Richbourg

John A. Richbourg, COL, USA (retired); deceased 6 December 2020. John was born in October 1928 in Summerton, S.C., the 4th of Fladger and Sarah Richbourg’s five children. John’s youth was spent working on the family cotton gin and as a gifted athlete for Summerton High School. In 1945, John entered the military college at Clemson University. By 1949, he graduated as the Cadet Colonel, the leader of the Clemson Corps of Cadets. After graduation, he married Doris who shared his life for 64 years until her passing in 2014. Soon after marriage, John left for duty in Guam, and quickly became part of the war effort in Korea. John later served two combat tours in Viet Nam. He completed his service to the nation with duties in the Pentagon as the Inspector General for the Army Corps of Engineers.

After retiring in 1979, John continued serving others for many years as an elder of the Franconia United Methodist Church. He was also able to spend time doing what he loved the most, being with his family at the lake house. John was a proud grandfather who relished teaching the children to water ski, finding them ice cream, and reading to them from the Bernstein Bears.

John was the last of his siblings, but is survived by three sons, their spouses, six grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. He will be laid to rest during a private family service at Mount Comfort in Alexandria, VA. The family plans a larger celebration of John’s life in the spring or summer when travel is more permissive. During these unprecedented times, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, honorary donations be made to feed the nation’s hungry.

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