HARTFORD, Ky. — Richard M. Gaskill Jr., 72, of Hartford, formerly of Mendon, Massachusetts, passed away on Feb. 1, 2022, with his loving wife Connie (Sutherland) by his side after a long battle with cancer. Rick was born and raised in Mendon, Rick was the son of the late Dora (Streeter) and Richard M. Gaskill Sr.
He attended Mendon schools, and after graduation In 1967 he proudly joined the Marines and fought in the Vietnam War.
He had a love for farming, classic cars, and driving truck. He enjoyed going to car shows, reading, and had a great knowledge of many subjects. He was a long-haul truck driver for over 25 years before retiring. Even after retirement, he kept up with the rules and regulations of the trucking industry.
He had a great sense of humor and loved joking around with loved ones. Rick had spent time in a few states in the south but it was Kentucky he called home. The land, the values, and the peaceful living is what he loved most. But he always loved our New England seafood. On trips back to visit family, he would include a stop at “Redwood” or some other restaurant for some good old fried clams or scallops.
Rick loved God, his country, and especially his family. He was a member of the Ohio County Kentucky Honor Guard, and a KY Colonel, a position he was proud to hold.
He was predeceased by his siblings Jeanne Miller, Mildred McLaughlin, and Lawrence “Larry” Gaskill. Also his grandson Jesse Gaskill. He also leaves behind his beloved pets, a German Shepherd, Gabriel, and his cats Nick, Nicky, and Scarlet.
Besides his wife Connie, he is survived by his three children, Rick and Jeffary, of Chester, South Carolina, and Christine Payne, of Northbridge, Massachusetts; his sisters, Susan Nealey, of Franklin, Massachusetts, Sally Ricci, of Uxbridge Massachusetts, and Doreen Rankins, of Upton Massachusetts; his stepchildren, Dewayne (Samantha) Edgell, Jamie Gillaspie, and Marco Patlan, all of Kentucky; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A graveside service with full military honors will be conducted by the PFC Wesley Phelps Honor Guard of Ohio County, Kentucky, at a later date. A Memorial service will also be held in Massachusetts at a later date so everyone can honor Richard and his life.
This was one of his favorite scripture verses: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the air; they do not see or reap or store away in the barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6: 25-34
The family request that donations in Richard’s memory be sent to: PFC Wesley Phelps Honor Guard of Ohio County KY, PO Box 134, Hartford, KY 42347.