Richard Colden

Richard L. “Dick” Colden, age 99, of Woolwich Twp., N.J., born in Philadelphia in 1921, lived in West Philadelphia and was a longtime resident of Drexel Hill, PA, reunited on March 1, 2021 with his beloved wife Marian A. (nee Magee), his parents, Harry R. and Anna R. Colden (nee Montague) and his siblings Henry, John, William, Francis and Mary Creaghe.

He left behind to carry on without him three children, Richard L. Jr. (Michele), James F. (Laraine) and Mary E. (George), 8 grandchildren, Richard L. Colden III (Sandy), Colleen M. Jakubowski (Richard), Kara J. Monahon (Michael) and Kevin M. (Miss), Kimberly L. Ross, Courtney Kerins (Thomas), Thomas J. Colden (fiancée, Alyse) and Amber Vogel (Andrew); 13 great grandchildren, Briana J. Monahon, N. Max Jakubowski, Ryan M. Monahon, Daniel R. Colden, Mia G. Monahon, Matthew J. Colden, Jacey M. Jakubowski, Charles L. Colden, Sophia E. Ross, Nathan R. Ross, Kinsley R. Kerins, Jackson J. Kerins, Caden J. Waddington and another great grandchild due this year. He loved them all and they loved him. He never turned down an invitation to a family event. Dick was a proud graduate of West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys ‘39 and St. Joseph’s College (now University) ‘70. During WWII, Dick worked as an apprentice machinist at the Naval Air Engineering Center located at the Philadelphia Naval Base and from 1944 to 1946, he served as member of the US Navy aboard the brand new aircraft carrier CV-42 USS Franklin D. Roosevelt as a 3rd class electrician radio man. While serving in the Navy, he married his beloved Marian in Corpus Christi, TX. He returned from the military service to complete his machinist apprenticeship. Over the years, he rose up the machine shop ranks to night foreman and general foreman for the entire shop before going to oversee the construction and certification for catapult and arresting gear installation aboard our aircraft carrier fleet. He later handled contract negotiations for NAVAIR contracts. His final position was as a Director of Operations (GS 14) before retiring in 1976. He loved to golf and to bowl and did both even in his eighties. Dick and Marian traveled throughout the US and Europe many times. In retirement, Dick also became a wizard at woodworking. He enjoyed doing the Inquirer crossword and other puzzles every day, even at 99.

A lifelong avid Philadelphia sports fan, Dick started going to A’s games before he was a teenager as part of the “knothole gang” and for the last 25 years he was a Phillies’ season ticket holder. He was still going to all the games when he was 97 and would have gone to them when he was 98, if the games had been open. A devout Catholic, Dick was a member of St. Bernadette Parish in Drexel Hill for over 50 years and Clare of Assisi Parish in Swedesboro, N.J. for the last 7 years.

Services and interment are private. Everyone is invited to view the Funeral Mass 11 AM Friday, March 5, 2021 on The Donohue Funeral Home Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thedonohuefuneralhome/ .

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chester County Down Syndrome Interest Group, P. O. Box 5064, West Chester, PA 19380 or to the charity of your choice.