Dates
"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life." - Jiddu Krishnamurti
Richard Allen Darigan, son of Lester Henry Darigan, Sr. and Sarah Veronica White, was born in Providence, RI, on January 26, 1928, and passed away on Monday, October 2, 2023, at his residence at Rio Concho Terrace in San Angelo.
In solemn tribute to his life and service, a graveside ceremony, complete with military honors, will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Abilene. Arrangements are under the direction of Robert Massie Funeral Home.
Known as Richard or Dick to his family and friends, he lived a full life and, into his nineties, remained physically fit and perpetually curious about the nature and meaning of existence and consciousness.
Raised during the Great Depression alongside four brothers, Richard enjoyed long days of self-described mischief with his friends in Apponaug, Rhode Island, and apple-picking at local farms. Even at 95, he vividly remembered his boyhood home, complete with dirt floors, a hand-pump kitchen sink, and a Saturday-only outdoor bath. He reminisced about soap-making, assembling a family radio, and his father selling his older brother Lester the family's Ford Model T.
Leaving home at 16, Richard moved to Daytona, Florida, where he found work as a busboy at the Princess Icana Hotel. He later headed to San Francisco, CA, to join the Merchant Marines, serving twelve tours of duty, including a stint on a hospital ship in France exchanging prisoners in Germany during WWII (where he recalled spending his 17th birthday watching bombshells burst wide-eyed from the water). His work took him to ports in South and East Africa, Portugal, and Mozambique, among others. He also undertook four trips with the Army.
After WWII, a five-week union strike left him stranded and nearly starving in Baltimore. Resilient, he journeyed back to the West Coast, where he worked various jobs, including one at the State Forestry in Washington, constructing fire trails, and another at American Aluminum Co., stacking pig/ingot aluminum.
In 1947, Richard joined the U.S. Navy in Portland, Oregon. He honorably served for 20 years, rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. His roles varied from Radio Mechanic to Academy Instructor in Advanced Electronics and Hybrid/Digital/Analog Computing at Navy Enlisted Advanced School. During his tenure, he was stationed on the US Boxer CV-21, USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16)
and at US NACTECHTRACEN in Glynco, Georgia , and US NATECHTRAU, Naval Air Station in Olathe, Kansas.
He earned multiple awards for his bravery, including the Korean Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam), National Defense Service Medal with two additional awards, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Choosing to retire at the age of 39, Richard managed his finances wisely and continued exploring. He spent many years traveling in Thailand and Southeast Asia. At 48, he took up running and spent 15 winters in Acapulco, with many of those rambling along the azure waters of the beaches there. At 75, he gave up his driving license but kept traveling, often riding on the jump seat of a military aircraft, and walking everywhere as much as he could.
By 90, he had slowed somewhat but maintained a healthy regimen by any standard: doing 50 sit-ups and push-ups, riding a stationary bike, or using an elliptical, sleeping nightly on a yoga mat (a healthy habit he said he developed during his Navy days), and walking three miles to the library daily. He also continued to enjoy ice cream and apple pie.
Even at 95, he described himself as addicted to thinking. He loved to read and learn about chemistry, biology, the awakening of intelligence, spiritual seekers, mystics in India, etc. In the later days of his life, he was interested in learning about Zen Buddhism (careful to note that he was not one himself). His favorite authors included: David Hume, Wolfgang Schopenhauer, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Bertrand Russell, Richard Carrier, Blaise Pascal, and Huang Po, all of whom he would quote freely while making a thought-provoking inflection or well-timed joke during conversation.
His whole life, he lived simply but to the fullest. He was, in every aspect, an original.
Richard was a private person. He was briefly married to the late Marion Ethel McClellan and was father to the late Carol Lee and late Nora Darigan. His family included four brothers who have also passed: Lester H., Jr., Lawrence J., Robert W., and Donald Darigan. Surviving are many cousines, nieces and nephews who will sorely miss him and keep his memory alive.
Special thanks go to Luis Martinez, Troy Crosby, and the Disabled American Veterans, Col Michael Rader Chapter 237, and Gregor Reeves of Robert Massie Funeral Home for their invaluable help in laying Richard to rest.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Richard's memory are encouraged to donate to the Disabled American Veterans (Col Michael Rader Chapter 237), PO Box 487, San Angelo, TX 76902, or the Tom Green Library System (San Angelo Branch), 33 W. Beauregard Ave, San Angelo, TX 76903.