Samuel Richard Kingsbury Obituary (1917 - 2012)

Samuel Richard Kingsbury was born on November 6, 1917 in Nunda, South Dakota to Verna Elizabeth and Lee Roy Kingsbury. He was the third of four children. His family called him Richard instead of Sam because his mother's youngest brother, also named Sam, lived with the family. When Richard was an infant the Kingsbury family moved to Iowa where his farther worked for the Chicago & Great Western Railroad. As Richard grew, he spent summers working on farms. He played sports in high school and shared his love of baseball by coaching many little league teams when his own sons played, and even after they were no longer in little league. Richard graduated from Tenant High School in 1935. Soon after graduation he followed his Uncle Sam to work at the F.W. Woolworth Company in Denver, Colorado. Later the company transferred him to Omaha, Nebraska where he worked in several stores. Then he was transferred to Hastings and finally to North Platte where he was an Assistant Manager. There he met Thelma Jung, who also worked at the store. When she moved to California, Richard soon followed. While awaiting his call to duty in World War II, he went to work for Consolidated in Bellflower, California performing maintenance and assembly line work. When his number was called he became a soldier in the U.S. Army, but before shipping over to the South Pacific, he married Thelma on December 4, 1943. When his tour of duty was completed, Richard and Thelma made their home in Long Beach, California. Richard went to the California College of Commerce to obtain a degree in accounting. While attending college he worked as a bartender to supplement their income. After college graduation he went to work for the State of California Board of Equalization as an auditor. He worked 38 years for the state before completing his career. Richard and Thelma celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary on December 4, 2012. During their marriage they were blessed with two sons, Rick and Ron, and one daughter, Teri. In addition to his wife and children Richard is survived by his daughter-in-law, Ria Kingsbury; four grandchildren, Tanya Merritt, John Kingsbury, Taylor Wetzel, and Mikenzie Wetzel; and three great-grandchildren, Aubrie Clingaman, Jenna Clingaman, and Logan Merritt. Richard always had a great sense of humor, a teasing nature, a sweet tooth, and a love to be with friends and family.