Richard L. Todd, CMSgt USAF (Ret)

Richard L. Todd, CMSgt USAF (Ret)

September 19, 1937 – May 18, 2024

Richard Luce Todd, CMSgt USAF (Ret.), 86, of Omaha, Nebraska, passed away at home, with his beloved wife by his side on May 18, 2024.

Richard was born on September 19, 1937, to Walter C. and Marguerite J. (nee Luce) Todd in Saginaw, Michigan. The family moved to Flushing, Michigan, during Richard’s childhood, and he graduated from Flushing High School in 1955.

After high school, Richard worked for General Motors at the Flint, Michigan plant, before enlisting in the United States Navy, where he served from 1957 to 1961. He was assigned aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex and had duty stations in Iceland and Bermuda during his enlistment.

In 1961, Richard switched his military enlistment to the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, where he met his wife, Brenda L. Voltz. They married on September 8, 1962, and moved to Kindley AB, Bermuda. Subsequent duty stations included Hunter AFB, Savannah, Georgia, and Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi, where Richard was an electronics instructor at the U. S. Air Force’s technical training school. Richard and Brenda had three children, John, Kimberly, and Cheryl.

In 1969, Richard received orders to Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, where he completed one tour of duty. After returning from Vietnam, he was stationed in Birmingham, Alabama, at the Hayes International Corporation, where he was assigned to a flight crew for C-130 and KC-135 aircraft. Duty stations that followed included Wurtsmith AFB, Oscoda, Michigan, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, and Offutt AFB, Bellevue, Nebraska. At Offutt AFB, Richard was the NCOIC of the HQ SAC CEMT team, working on the B-1B aircraft program. During his military service, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. Richard retired from the United States Air Force on April 1, 1987, after 30 years of distinguished military service.

Richard and Brenda stayed in Omaha after Richard’s military retirement. Richard worked as the technical manager at Chuck E. Cheese’s for 27 years. He loved meeting the kids and families that frequented the restaurant, and always had a pocket full of game tokens to hand out to the kids. He usually held multiple jobs at the same time, first as an instructor at Gateway College and then teaching at Metropolitan Community College, before he fully retired.

Richard loved dogs and had many throughout his life. His latest, Molly, was a great comfort to him and was also by his side when he passed.

Richard loved gardening and creating a beautiful yard at his Pepperwood home. In 2011, Richard’s and Brenda’s backyard garden was picked for Omaha Magazine’s Garden Walk, and was featured in the magazine.  Traveling around the country in their RV to see Atlanta Braves baseball was also a summertime favorite.

Richard was preceded to heaven by his mother and father; brother, Jerry W. Todd, of Flushing, Michigan; his favorite aunt, Elizabeth Todd, of Flushing, Michigan, mother-in-law and father in-law, Louise M. and John J. Voltz, of Columbus, Ohio; and brothers-in-law, John H. Voltz and Dwight W. Voltz, also of Columbus, Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, of Omaha, Nebraska; son, John (Rene) Todd, of Papillion, Nebraska, daughter, Kimberly (Mark) Rank, of Denver, Colorado, and daughter, Cheryl (John) Kelly, of Elkhorn, Nebraska. Richard was grandpa to Taylor (Bryce) Dietz, Nicholas Hennig, Jennifer Rank, Andrew Rank, and Landon Todd; and great-grandpa to Amadeus Dietz; sister, Bonnie Sue (Dana) Caverly of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and sister, Jodi Wonderlee, of Gilbert, Arizona; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Richard was a deeply beloved husband, father, uncle, brother, grandpa, and friend. He loved a good joke, and was a master at sarcastic humor and witty comebacks. He will be terribly missed by his family.

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VISITATION: Sunday, June 9th, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Center Chapel, 7805 West Center Rd.

FUNERAL SERVICE: Monday, June 10th, 10:30 a.m., at the West Center Chapel, with GRAVESIDE SERVICE at 2:30 p.m. at Omaha National Cemetery, 14250 Schram Rd.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed by the family.

To view live broadcasts of the Funeral and Graveside Services, please visit www.heafeyheafey.com and click the “Live Cast” button at the top of the home page.