Paul Dwight Richards, formerly of West Liberty and Paintsville, Ky., passed away on Aug. 3, 2023, at the Jonesburg, Mo., Nursing & Rehab Care Center. He was born Sept. 7, 1953, to Lewyn and Phyllis Harned Richards. He was a graduate of Paintsville High School, Class of 1972. He had married, later divorced, Linda Swank of Muscatine, and of this union was born their son, Christopher Jon Richards.
While serving with the U.S. Army, he was trained as an EMT and worked in different hospitals as a CNA. He also has been an over-the-road truck driver, having been to 48 states. As a civilian, he served 18 months driving in convoy, hauling jet fuel to military bases in Iraq. During that time, he did experience a hit to the truck from an IED.
Paul is survived by his son, Christopher Jon in Missouri; his mother, Phyllis Kesler of West Liberty; and two half-brothers, Christopher of Stuart, Fla., and Jonathan of Marysville, Ohio. He was preceded by his father and grandparents Floyd and Anna Harned and Ed and Gen Richards, aunts and uncles.
Burial of cremains has been in the West Liberty Oakridge Cemetery.