Richard Edward Bland, veteran, true patriot

Richard Edward Bland, 81, of Rehoboth Beach, passed away tragically as a result of a motorcycle accident Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. He was born on Nov. 19, 1941, in Marion, Ohio, son of the late William and Margaret (Harris) Bland.

Richard studied engineering at OSU, Ohio Northern University, Clemson, and Philadelphia University.  He served as a reservist in the U.S. Army and held jobs at Whirlpool, BF Goodrich, Northrop Grumman, and Rockwell International Columbus while living in Ohio. As a quality control inspector for the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency, Richard worked for NASA and Boeing on such projects as the Space Shuttle, B-1 bomber, Peacekeeper, and MX Missiles.

Richard loved his country and was a true patriot. He enjoyed coastal living and all it had to offer, fishing in particular. Richard’s passion for motorcycling and driving fast cars did not diminish with age. At 81, he refused to slow down. Richard loved life, and he loved to live it.  He will be genuinely missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.

In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by his daughter, Courtney A. Bland; and his brother, Thomas Bland. He is survived by his nieces, Teresa Lynn Glosser (Don) and their family, and Tony Marie Kline and her family; and his nephew, Timothy William Bland (Lori) and their family, all of Mt. Gilead, Ohio.

Services were held privately. 

Final care was entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to a veteran’s charity of choice.

Visit Mr. Bland’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.