RICHARD W. DERRY

Richard Derry

Richard W. Derry, 76, of Smithfield died at 6:47 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003, at Graham Hospital in Canton.

He was born April 21, 1927, in Summum, a son of Ben and Mary Shields Derry. He married Ilene R. Stevens on Jan. 14, 1950, in Canton. She survives.

Also surviving are his mother of Smithfield; four daughters, Diana (and Mark) Fife of Canton, Sheila (and Rick) Smith of Smithfield, Brenda (and Tony) Shore of Pleasant Hill, Mo., and Teresa (and Jeff) Milne of Geneseo; and seven grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his father and one brother.

A World War II veteran, he served with the Navy Seabees and was a member of Russell Smith American Legion Post 533.

A heavy-equipment operator, he was a member of Operating Engineers Local 649 in Peoria for 35 years. He farmed in the Smithfield area for many years and was a former Smithfield Fire Department trustee.

He was a member of Fulton County Farm Bureau.

Services were held Friday at Henry-Lange Memorial Home in Cuba with Rev. Stacy Tomich officiating. Burial was in Baughman Cemetery in rural Smithfield, where military honors were accorded by his American Legion post.

Memorials may be made to the Smithfield Veterans Memorial or the Grant Keime Memorial Trust.

Published in the Astoria South Fulton Argus on 9/17/2003