John William "Bill" Richards

John William “Bill” Richards, age 95 of Rocky Mount, passed away on Monday, February 10, 2020. He was born on December 14, 1924, a son of the late, Carroll T. and Annie Bertha Wells Richards. Bill was a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He retired after 26 years of service, having served with the 8th Army Air Corps and participated in Normandy invasion, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe, European African Theatre, ending his service in the U.S. Air Force after two tours in Vietnam. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gladys Webb Richards; brothers and sister, Eugene Richards, Carroll Tucker Richards, Jr., and Hazel Garrett. Surviving are his sisters, Catherine Beckner Kingery of Rocky Mount, and Barbara R. Ross of Lynchburg, Va; stepchildren, James (Connie) Kirk of Columbus, Ohio, Sandi (Bill) Cohn of Columbus, Ohio, and Shelby (Eileen) Kirk of Mobile, Ala.; nieces and nephews, Tuck (Debra) Richards of Roanoke, Charlene (Richard) Lynch of Roanoke, Lucinda Richards of Rocky Mount, Bob Ross of Lynchburg, Va., LouAnn Ross-Purnell of Flowery, Ga., Jimmie (Janice) Beckner of Rocky Mount, Becky (John) McDonald of Summerfield, NC, and Tommy Beckner of Virginia Beach; and many other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, 11:00 a.m. Thursday, February 13, 2020. Interment with military honors will follow in the church cemetery. The family requests donations to be made to the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery Fund (Corvin Weddle, 2300 McNeil Mill Road, Rocky Mount, Va. 24151). His family will receive from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount.