Marine found calling serving others

Against the backdrop of a bright blue Carson Valley sky and his beloved Sierra Nevada, Lt. Col. Rod "K2" Richardson was eulogized Friday as a warrior, teacher, leader, and devoted husband.

Richardson, 54, died Oct. 4 in Iraq of injuries received from an improvised explosive device while he was working as a civilian manager of a private security company.

"Rod was a warrior who knew his whole life he had to give himself to service," said Pastor Pete Nelson, who officiated at a memorial service at Carson Valley United Methodist Church.

Nearly 250 family members, friends and colleagues from Richardson's military and civilian careers filled the pews. Honor guards represented the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Friend John Scott said he first met Richardson at the gym.

"We kind of fit in real quickly," Scott said. "He was a master teacher and would bring you along and get you excited about what you were doing. People wanted to get around him and just have a lot of fun."

Scott spoke of Richardson's patience and support on ski and hunting trips.

"He never left me behind. He would stop, wait and ask, 'Are you ready to go?'" he said.

Richardson was portrayed as a devoted husband who always made sure his wife Rita was taken care of during his extended absences.

On their last outing together, Scott said Richardson invited him to Baghdad, then retracted the offer.

"Rod said, 'You need to stay here, take care of yourself, and take care of Marlene (Scott). And ask Rita over. She may not come, but it's nice to be asked,'" Scott recalled.

Richardson told Scott what a good friend he was and said he looked forward to his return to Gardnerville in December.

"He shook my hand, looked at me straight in the eye and just smiled," Scott said.

John Soderman knew the Richardsons as neighbors.

"He was the closest thing to Rambo, Superman and Bond - James Bond - that I'll ever meet. He was the real deal," Soderman said.

Every time he was in Gardnerville, Richardson undertook "thousands of projects" to make sure his home and property were in top shape. He left written instructions everywhere.

"We found one last week on how to turn off the sprinklers," Soderman said. "It read, 'Step 1: Pick up the note.'

"Rod was someone you could count on in a fix. He was one of those workers who had no patience with laziness. He took a leadership position when one was needed.

"He said something to me that I will always remember. 'Somebody's got to step up and be willing to kick in the door,'" Soderman said.

Scott Shick, who met Richardson while working at Rite of Passage, said their styles conflicted at first but they became close colleagues and friends.

"There was no one better to work with," Shick said. "Under that tough disciplinarian, there was a man with compassion and reason."

Shick said Richardson had a "relentless quest for a better way of life."

"He was a fixer, not a finger-pointer," he said.

Lifelong friend John O'Dell had the congregation stand and applaud.

"That standing ovation was for Rod. I always wanted to give him one. He would never let me," O'Dell said.

He described Richardson's funeral last month in his hometown of Boise City, Okla., and the hundreds of people who lined the streets to honor their fallen hero.

"I think his last thought would be: 'To my family and friends, live in peace. I am in heaven,'" O'Dell said.

Richardson retired from the Marine Corps in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel. While assigned to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center at Pickel Meadow, he was an expert instructor in mountain climbing and warfare tactics. His climbing ability allowed him to ascend several of the highest peaks in the Himalayas where he earned the nickname "K2."

He worked at the Douglas County Sheriff's Office before joining Rite of Passage where his programs of discipline, education and training earned him national recognition in the field of juvenile justice.

Shortly after the war began in Afghanistan, Richardson signed on as a contract employee providing security service and continued the work in Iraq.

Deputy Jesse McKone, 37, met Richardson when both joined the sheriff's office in the mid-1990s.

McKone said he considered Richardson a mentor.

"Even though his career here (DCSO) was short, we remained friends and trained together. He was a very private man - what you would consider an unsung hero, the kind of guy I want to be when I grow up," McKone said.

MEMORIAL

Donations in memory of Lt. Col. Rod Richardson may be made to Wounded Warriors, 1719 N. 60th St., Omaha, NE, 68104; Web site: www.woundedwarriors.org