Obituary – Richard Eugene Gause

Richard Eugene Gause

BRISTOL, FL – Richard Eugene Gause –  also known as “Uncle Richard”  – was born Tuesday, July 14, 1959 in Marianna to Barkley Eugene Gause and Iris “Pat” Shuler Gause.

He is survived by his sister Genine, brothers Bill, Jim, Barkley, Wade and David with their spouses and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Richard lived in Marianna and Bristol, FL.  He also resided in Santaquin and Provo, UT.

He had a mental disability which limited his understanding to that of an 8 -year-old.  However, his disability did not inhibit his ability to play the drums.

After Mom and Dad got where they could no longer care for Richard, he moved to Medallion Manor in Provo.  Through his Medallion Manor group home residency, he worked for Central Utah Enterprises which allowed him to provide janitorial services and lunchroom assistance to several schools in the Provo UT school district.  This allowed him to earn a few bucks which could be used in the snack machine at Medallion Manor for 3 Musketeer bars and Coca Colas.   When outside of Medallion on his weekend family home visits, Richard understood that spending your money always came before the spending of his.

He loved to mow lawns all his life.  His favorite method was on a John Deere riding lawnmower.  He would cut our lawns which added to his spending money.

Richard loved people.  He wanted to meet everyone and he tried to.  “Hi, I’m  Richard!” with an outstretched hand and a hug if allowed.  “What’s your name?” he would ask.  He was also a great storyteller. He could tell stories of past adventures, and most of these stories included where he ate lunch that day.

He literally met thousands of people in his lifetime.  It was not uncommon to travel almost anywhere and hear, “Hey Richard!”  “I know you!”, he would reply.  Although he couldn’t always remember everyone’s name, he remembered faces and would go give the person a big hug if possible.

He loved Scooby Doo, The Dukes of Hazzard, Three Stooges and any train show.  Only thing better than a train show was seeing the trains in person.  Mama and Daddy, and later all of us, took turns taking Richard to see trains or airplanes.  Richard befriended the train personnel at the switching yards in Provo, UT and Chattahoochee, FL.  He may or may not have gotten a train ride during the train switching processes and maybe to an adjoining town.  He may or may not have had his own deputy sheriff’s badge from Sheriff Revell from Liberty County, FL.  He kept it in his wallet and promised he would only show it to his family.  Richard was a man of his word.

He loved visiting family and friends.  As Mom and Dad slowed down in life, every year Richard and Wade would make a trip to Florida to visit Bill and all of the family, relatives and friends there and the Chattahoochee.  He wanted to stay primarily with his brother, Bill.

Richard was a Boy Scout and spent many fall Saturdays with Uncle Paul Gentry and others from his troop ushering the FSU football games.  Another Saturday activity was watching in person or on TV local professional wrestling from Dothan, AL. Dad’s brother, John Gause, was the master of ceremony for the program and the TV play by play announcer.  Hulk Hogan began his career in Dothan and saw the potential to take wrestling nationalwide and he did.

Richard is a baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He is an ordained Elder in the priesthood and attended the temple regularly with Dad.  Mom got Alzheimer’s disease around 2005 which limited her participation in most things so Richard and Dad became big buddies.  Mom would tag along when possible.

Eventually Mom and Dad’s health required us to move Richard to Medallion Manor, a group home in Provo.  He didn’t care for it at first, but came to love and be loved by the staff and the clients who lived there.

We lost Dad and Richard’s best buddy in 2013.  Mom would join Dad in 2017.

Richard would join Mom and Dad Tuesday, May 21, 2024.  Richard will be laid to rest next to Mom and Dad at the Gregory Neil Gentry cemetery in Bristol’s White Springs community.

I am sure he has hugged Mom, Dad, Jesus and thousands more since he left us.

“Well done thou good and faithful servant” comes to mind to summarize Richard’s earthly life.

Until we cross over to our next life and hear, “Hi I’m Richard,” may God keep you.

We will miss you, Uncle.