Obituary of Richard Colclough

Richard Colclough, Jr. (PaPa) was a son of the South.  He was born on December 11, 1929 in Sumter, South Carolina to Richard and Phillis Colclough.  He was the oldest of 5 children.  His siblings were Edward, Willie, Mary Jane and Marilyn.  As the oldest child, he was like a surrogate parent to his younger brothers and sisters while his parents worked. He cooked, cleaned, braided hair, took care of minor scrapes and bruises, showed his brothers how to hit a baseball and shooed away any little boys who paid too much attention to his little sisters.  As a youth, Richard played 3rd base for a youth Negro league baseball team.  This team won the championship of their league, and was supposed to play the champions of the white league, however, segregation policies prevented the game from ever taking place.  After his schooling, Richard joined the Army looking for better opportunities than his hometown could offer black men at that time.  His time in the service took him to Germany and Korea where he worked as a medic.  While serving in the Army he had a home built for his family.  After being honorably discharged, he headed north to look for work in Washington, DC.  He found work with the United States Postal Service where he worked for 34 years.   Richard was also a member of the Prince Hall Freemasons.  In 1961 he met the woman who he would share 52 years of his life with, Alma Gathers.  They married in 1962.  From this union came 2 children, Kerry and Karla.

Richard departed this life on Friday, July 7, 2017.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Alma; his parents, Richard Sr. and Phillis; and his siblings.

He leaves to cherish his memory his son Kerry Colclough (Colette) of Owings Mills, MD; his daughter Karla Holloway (Robert) of Upper Marlboro, MD; his son Anthony Moore (Cynthia) of Bowie, MD and his daughter Lynn Armstrong of Washington, DC.  Grandchildren:  Isaiah, Gavin, Quinton, Christopher, Tammy Marie, Jamal, Joshua, Sharnessa and Anthony.  Great grandchildren:  Jaylin, Jeniya, Lyric, Portia, and Sabrina.  Nieces:  Deborah Laird, Denise Smith.  Nephews:  Ronald Scurry, Donald Scurry, Ricky Scurry and Rodney Scurry; and the entire Moore family of Baltimore, MD, along with other relatives and friends.