Richard William Groulx, 68, of Oregon City, passed away on May 26. He was 68 years old.
Image by Willie Wax on Wikimedia Commons
Image by Willie Wax on Wikimedia Commons
Groulx was born in Accra, Ghana, July 15,1948. Rick spent his early years in Lagos, Nigeria, before beginning traveling to the United States for education at Cheshire Academy and later, Darien High School.
He was joined by two much-loved sisters, Kathy and Zoe, remembering trips to South Texas to spend time with grandparents and cousins in the Rio Grande Valley. Rick joined the Navy when he was 17, choosing to attend Corpsman School at Great Lakes Naval Station, intending to spend his service time in the company of nurses and hospitals.
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— This obituary previously was published by the Oregonian
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In 1968 Rick was sent to Vietnam, serving with the 7th Engineers, and later, with CAP 127 unit of the Combined Action Program. He considered his service during Tet, the Battle of Hue City, and his time with his CAP unit to have been pivotal in his understanding of the great history of the Marine Corps he loved so well.
Rick was grateful to get to know the Vietnamese people, loving their beauty, culture, and country. He returned to Vietnam in 1995 to revisit the history he lived there.
After his military service, Rick found his way to the Pacific Northwest, where he met his wife, Jean. They met in 1974 and married in 1978, finding love, laughter, and peace together.
During the following years, Rick worked in operating rooms, then moved to the career that shaped his life for over 30 years, playing and coaching soccer.
Rick coached camps, club teams, high school, college, and adult teams, working hard to help players of all ages and abilities to develop strong life skills and commitments to “the beautiful game.”
Jean and Rick lived in St. Helens, Ore.; Portland; and after retirement, a little piece of Heaven in Oregon City, Ore.
He is survived by his wife, Jean; sisters, Kathy (Grant) and Zoe; cousins in Texas; his devoted cats, Bess, Maude and Bella; and beloved Great Pyrenees dog, Tuyuet Co. His love and devotion to his beloved Navy and Marine Corps brothers and sisters is eternal.
His funeral service will take place at 2:30 p.m., Thursday, June 15, 2017, at the shelter at Willamette National Cemetery. Please be prompt.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marine Corps League, First Marine Division, or the Wounded Warrior Project.
Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits.