The Richmond family sadly announces the loss of its patriarch Glendon Wylie Richmond on Tuesday July 29. As the youngest of six children in his longtime Claremont family, he survived his parents, twin brothers, twin sisters and his beloved brother Donald.  He now joins them in eternity, and passes the torch of family patriarchy to his nephew Frank Richmond, also of Claremont. 

 Glendon was born on May 10, 1931 to his parents Isaac Foster Richmond and Mary Minerva Richmond.  He grew up in Claremont, where, outside of a short time living in Washington D.C. after his Navy service, he spent his entire life.  A long-time boy scout, Glen achieved his Eagle Scout honor as a teen.  He attended Way Elementary School, and graduated in the Steven’s High School class of ’49.  Glen was a high school athlete on track and basketball teams, and a standout football player at Steven’s.  Later, the game of golf took precedence, and he was a veritable fixture at the Claremont Country Club for over 50 years, organizing the Twilight League and competing for many club championships. He even achieved the elusive hole-in–one at least once, maybe twice.  Some might even suspect his longtime home on Camden Avenue, abutting the CCC, might have been chosen for proximity’s sake.

 Glen began studies at UNH in 1949, but left school for military service just one semester short of graduation. He enrolled in the US Navy in 1953 for a six-year tour of duty at the close of the Korean War.  He was educated in the Chinese language at what is now the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio in Monterey, California.  His linguistic acuity paired with an equal facility with the language of mathematics led to his Naval assignment breaking Chinese military codes, through the interception of signals from various listening posts including submarine surveillance, on Okinawa and Taiwan. On at least one occasion, his work led to the identification of pending troop movements that allowed for successful intervention.  Wanting to retain his many talents, the Navy offered Glen a career with further language training in Russian, an honor that would have made him the first ever to study both complex languages at DLI.

 His success in cryptology had already opened up other opportunities, though, and Glen accepted a position with the CIA in Washington D.C. in May 1959.  In October of that year, he married Dorothy Colvin, who he had met before leaving N.H., at a ceremony in Windsor, Vermont.  Dorothy joined him in D.C., where his first child, daughter Jennifer, was born.  The young family’s New England roots pulled strongly, though, and they returned to Claremont where Glen and Dottie would reside throughout the passing years.  They celebrated their 50^th anniversary in 2009 and sadly part only now at his passing.

  Glen completed his secondary studies at UNH with support from his government position.  He graduated in January 1962 with a BS degree in engineering.  Their son Andrew was born in Claremont in 1963.

 Glen pursued an engineering career in the industrial lower valley, working first at J&L in Springfield VT, then at Joy Manufacturing in Claremont for twenty-five years until their operation was shuttered.  His later career then returned to Springfield, VT, working at Bryant’s, Gear Shaper, and finally coming full circle to J&L once again. Before full retirement he also consulted privately within the manufacturing industry.

 Outside of the military and workplace, Glen’s personal study to advance both his language and mathematics skills continued as a rich part of his life.  In the 70’s, a Vietnamese family moved to Claremont.  Though their English skills were very limited, one member of the extended family spoke a Chinese dialect that allowed he and Glen to converse.  With Glen’s help, the On family became well integrated to Claremont, and to US life in general.  Though they now live on the West coast, they stayed in touch with their faithful translator through the intervening decades. 

 Waiters and waitresses in Chinese restaurants throughout a wide regional area were always surprised to be addressed and engaged in conversation in their native tongue by this unlikely seeming linguist as he enjoyed a favorite outing of Chinese provender and palaver.

 In retirement, he continued to swing the golf club while pursuing his personal interests, investigating many complex mathematical and astronomical theories, continually engaging and challenging his brainpower in multiple ways.  Puzzles of all sorts were always a favorite pastime. In recent years the Suduko grid became an obsession of sorts with thick books of the puzzles quickly dispatched.  In another discipline of particular interest, he worked for years on a hand-written manuscript detailing the intricate spherical geometry involved in the working of sundials, which will become a treasured (though indecipherable to the non-mathematicians in the family) heirloom.

 He is survived by his wife Dorothy, daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Brian Coleman, son Andy and daughter-in-law Susan Dewhirst, and his beloved granddaughter Jillian Richmond (and his especially dear cat Joey III).  He will also be fondly remembered and missed by many loving nieces, nephews and their respective families, as well as a wide range of friends.  The family will remember Glen in a Celebration of Life ceremony at the Claremont Country Club on Monday August 4^th  from 2 to 5 pm.  Friends are invited to attend to celebrate memories of Glen as he was in life, and perhaps share a happy recollection with the assembled.  A private interment ceremony will follow at a later date.     

 We would like to thank the many dedicated, thoughtful and attentive caregivers at Valley Regional Hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and Elm Wood of Claremont for their extraordinary efforts during Glen’s final time.

 In lieu of flowers, donations in Glen’s memory can be made to the charity of your choice, or the American Lung Association.