Mr. RICHARD LOUIS NADER

FORT WORTH -- Richard Louis Nader, loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, engineer, churchman and faithful servant, was welcomed into the arms of his Savior Saturday July 22, surrounded by his loving family. Mr. Nader was 92 years old. MEMORIAL SERVICE: Friends are invited to join the family for a Christian celebration service of Richards’s life at the grave in Greenwood Memorial Park at 10 a.m. Friday, after which he will be laid to rest. Visitation: Family and friends will gather from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Great Room at Roberson Mueller Harper. MEMORIALS: In lieu of flowers, consideration of contributions to the James L. West Special Care, in his memory, is suggested. Their dedicated and loving staff has done so much to care for, and love, our precious father and grandfather during his stay there. Words cannot express our gratitude and thankfulness for all they have done for Richard, Velma and our family over the last several years. Born May 27, 1925 in Marshall, he was the youngest of nine children born to E.J. and Betty Asaff Nader, immigrants from Lebanon. His family were merchants and confectioners in Marshall and the surrounding region. Richard was a scholar and athlete as a Marshall Maverick. He was raised alongside his beloved nieces and nephews, some of whom were his age and older. Upon graduation from high school in 1943, he was inducted into the U.S. Army and served with distinction with Company I of the 363rd Infantry at campaigns in Rome-Arno, North Apennines and Po Valley of Italy. He was discharged November, 1945 with 3 Bronze Star commendations. He returned to enter Texas Technological College in Lubbock in the spring of 1946, from where he graduated in 1949 with a degree in Civil Engineering with the assistance of the G.I. Bill. He was the first of his family to graduate with a secondary degree. While at school in Lubbock, he met Velma Faye Pieper, a student from Inadale, Texas. They married on July 12, 1950, and were wed almost 64 years, until May of 2014 at which time she passed away. They had two children, James Richard, in 1951 and Rebecca Ann, in 1958. Richard was employed as a civilian engineer by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers from where he retired in 1985. He served as a project engineer at Lake Wylie Dam and Carswell AFB Hospital, after which he was employed for 5 years by Convair as a test engineer in the B58 fighter/bomber program. He accepted a commission again with the USACOE in 1960, at which time he was sent to manage the construction of the Shepherd AFB Hospital in Wichita Falls. This began a five year period of nomadic travel for his family during which he also served at the U.S. Army Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, the Lake Waco Dam relocation, and the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos under the administration of Lyndon Johnson. In 1965 he returned to Fort Worth to manage the numerous projects at Fort Wolters in Mineral Wells during the Viet Nam War expansion. He then moved into management positions at the Corp’s Fort Worth District Office, and until the Trinity River Canal project was ended, managed the project office. He eventually attained the post of Assistant Chief Engineer of the Fort Worth District a few years before retirement. Richard and Velma became early and dedicated members of Westcliff United Methodist Church shortly after its charter. They were active members of the Co-workers Class and moved with the church to its permanent home on Selkirk Drive. Richard served in many leadership capacities including Methodist Men’s Club President, Administrative Board Chair as well as Building Committee Chair for its first expansion project. He was a dedicated Christian whose first stop in every new town where he moved his family was the Methodist Church. The church has always been his primary basis for living in community. His faith continues to be expressed through the heritage of his family’s service to Christ through His church. In 2011, Richard became a fulltime resident of the James L. West Care Facility in Fort Worth. It was there that he received the love and support of a most caring staff until his end. His humble and loving spirit left an indelible mark on the staff as well. Richard is preceded in death by his wife Velma, father E.J. Nader, mother Betty, brothers Ed, Tom, William, Henry and Robert Nader and sisters Rosa Lee Nader Thomas, Amelia and Della Nader. SURVIVORS: In addition to his children, James Richard Nader and his wife, Kay, and Rebecca Nader McKenzie and her husband, Dan; Richard was grandfather to E.J. Nader and his wife, Sarah, Rev. John Nader and his wife, Casey, Rev. Joseph Nader and his wife, Mary Kathryn, and Jordan Nader and his wife, Jennifer, Karolyn McKenzie and Robert McKenzie; he was great-grandfather to Ashleigh, Alexis, Lydia, James Joseph, Emmett, Adalyn, Eliana, Pieper; and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. RICHARD LOUIS NADER please visit our Sympathy Store.