Richard L. Friday

Richard L. Friday, 80, of Elyria, died Tuesday, June 24, 2025.   He was born April 9, 1945 in Lorain and was a 1963 graduate of Vermilion High School.  He was raised in Vermilion and later moved to Elyria.  In 1966, Richard was a member of the first graduating class of Lorain County Community College.  As a teenager, he delivered papers, hauled concrete and worked in an upholstery shop. As a child, he spent summers swimming in Lake Erie and winters playing ice hockey on the Vermilion River. In high school, he excelled in tennis and basketball.  His cousin, Garry, has fond memories of waiting for Richard to deliver the paper and teach him all about football.  Garry says he would not have been the football player he was without his beloved cousin.   From 1966-1979, he worked for General Industries and for 33 years at Lear Romec, a division of Crane before retiring in 2012 as a manufacturing engineer.  During his career, he traveled to Washington, California, Hong Kong, Malaysia, England, Singapore and his favorite place was Toulouse, France where he sat at the same café the WWII generals did their planning during the war.  Richard enjoyed traveling to Hilton Head Island and Ireland to drink his favorite beer-Guinness.  Over the years, they have had nine golden retrievers, which they walked twice a day, everyday, rain or shine.  He loved to play golf, which now his grandsons love as well.  He also enjoyed working in the yard, playing pinochle and canasta with many dear friends over the years and going to Irish Pubs and listening to Irish music, especially The New Barleycorn.

Richard is survived by his wife of 60 years, Linda (nee Caughlin); children, Shari (Brad) Diedrick, Kelley Martin and John (Maria) Friday; grandchildren, Rylan, Brynne, Samantha, Madalyn, Ryan, Cameron, Caidyn, Connor and Brendan; brother, Paul (Shelly) Friday; brother-in-law, Bill (Janet) Caughlin, cousins, Garry, Irene, Jean, Judy, Forrest, Jerry, Ron, Janet and Connie and many nieces and nephews, he was especially close to his dear niece, Tami.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Esther Friday and his brother, James.

Friends will be received Sunday, June 29, 2025 from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 323 Middle Avenue, Elyria.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, June 30, 2025 at 10:30 am at St. Jude Church, 590 Poplar Street, Elyria with Reverend Frank P. Kosem officiating.  Burial will follow in Brookdale Cemetery, Elyria. 

Memorial contributions may be made to The Lucy Idol Center, 435 Nicholson Rd, Vermilion, OH 44089; who provides the care for his granddaughter, Brynne and Hospice of the Western Reserve, PO Box 72101, Cleveland, Ohio 44197-9935.

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