Obituary: Jerome Howard (Jerry) Richards

A funeral for Jerome Howard (Jerry) Richards will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Walton's Funeral Home.

Mr. Richard died Oct. 4, 2000. He was born Dec. 27, 1940, in Wilton, N.Y. His family moved to Northern California in 1944, to Carson City in 1950 and to Yerington in 1952. He graduated from high school in Yerington in 1959 .

Mr. Richard joined the Nevada Highway Patrol in 1967. He served in Reno, Wells, Las Vegas, was Commander of the Nevada High Patrol Academy, Lake Tahoe and Carson City areas. During his career, he received many commendations for high profile felony arrests.

In 1988, he was the Incline Village Optimist Club Officer of the Year. He was certified by federal and state courts as an expert witness in traffic accident investigations, use of police radar and impaired driving investigations. In 1991, he retired as a sergeant.

He was involved in the community as a member and leader of service clubs and police and veterans organizations. He was a charter member and director of the Nevada Highway Patrol Association, twice honor president and life member of the Incline Village Optimist Club, twice president of the Western Nevada Peace Officers Association, member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a life member of the National Rifle Association and the Nevada Rifle and Pistol Association and Post Commander of Carson City Capitol Post 4 of the American Legion. He was an accomplished outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping.

He served in the U.S. Army and the Nevada National Guard.

Among his survivors are his wife Janine of Carson City; daughter Michelle Cognase of Canyonville, Ore., daughter Lisa Sleeper of Las Vegas, son Gregory of Canyonville and daughter Cassandra Richards of Carson City; brother Jim of Las Vegas; sisters Ann Berger of Scottsdale, Ariz., Sandy Gailor of Washoe Valley and Barbara Mikuta of Carson City; stepmother Arussa Atwell of Washoe Valley; half brothers John, David, Pat and Mike, all of New York; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Burial will be at the veterans cemetery in Fernley.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cassandra Richards Trust Fund, Account 004960796845, c/o Bank of America, Carson City.