It is with sorrow we share that Richard Merrill Sharp, age 76, succumbed to heart disease on the evening of December 7th and joined our Creator in Heaven. Richard was born in 1947, the second of the five children of De and Martha Sharp of Torrance, California. He was preceded by his older sister Kathy, his mother, and his father.
He grew up an active boy, working horse stables until he enlisted in the Army in 1966. After a year in Berlin, he served with valor in Vietnam as a Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) in the 27th Infantry Regiment “Wolfhounds” of the 25th Infantry Division. His tour of duty occurred during the Tet Offensive, and his service earned him a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. After, he found a love for riding motorcycles, playing guitar, and the fellowship of like-minded friends. When California legislators attempted to enact a helmet law for motorcyclists, he actively fought against it as a member of the MMA. Though this was unsuccessful, he brought this same passion to their Christmas charity Toy Runs. In 1981, he became a Locksmith, and opened a shop in Garden Grove, CA.
He met his wife Cynthia in 1982 and together they had two children: Jacob and Lady Katherine. Over the years, the family made their way Eastward in leaps and bounds, settling in Colorado, Florida, and eventually in Walterboro.
He was loved; a father who devoted his time to his family. Richard enjoyed sharing his excitement for football, car races, music, and building motorcycles. He especially loved kids and animals, and the outdoors: riding, camping, fishing, and even outdoor cooking. He organized the Neighborhood Watch and always made his home welcoming to the friends of his children. About the turn of the century, while in Colorado, Richard’s injuries he sustained in the war brought him to Rolling Thunder events, and he became a member of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club. His discomfort did not take away his ability to make you smile using his heart and wit.
In 2008, he moved to a quiet town in Florida called Ocklawaha where, in 2022, his daughter joined him to keep him well until his move to Walterboro in the summer of 2023. Richard enjoyed the time spent with his children and his grandchildren. Richard is survived by his step mother Mary, by his sisters Lynn and Connie, and his brother Joseph. He leaves behind his wife, son, daughter, four nephews, two nieces, and three grandchildren… yet even more than this claimed this big hearted man as their brother, their uncle, and their Grumpa.
You will remain in our hearts for always, and we all love and miss you.
Arrangements by: The Brice W. Herndon And Sons Funeral Homes And Crematory, Walterboro Chapel, 1193 Bells Highway, Walterboro, South Carolina, 29488. Visit the guestbook online at: www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com.
