It is difficult to lose a beloved member of your family. When that person is also a beloved member of the community, the grief seems to take on another dimension.
Edgar C. Richard, known as Tucker, was supposed to be one of the grand marshals in last Friday’s Celebrate Damascus Parade. But he passed away last month, leaving his grieving family to fill in for him.
The Gazette mentioned Mr. Richard in a preview story of the parade, but his children told us they did not feel the story said enough about the man who did so much for the Damascus community.
‘‘Dad was one of the most important people in Damascus,” his daughter, Linda Videtto, told me last week.
His son, Gary Richard, agreed.
‘‘I don’t know how he did all the things he did,” he said.
Although the community knew him well, I did not. I have been with The Gazette for 20 years, but editor of the Damascus⁄Clarksburg edition for less than two years, so I never had the privilege of meeting the man his son said was larger than life.
Tucker Richard began his life of service in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving in the 86th Infantry Division of the Black Hawks in Europe. Later, he was shipped to the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. One of his duties was to head out in the darkness of night to search out the enemy.
Tucker used the strength he gathered from those missions to help his son get over his own fear of the dark when he was a little boy, and that’s a memory Gary Richard holds fondly in his heart.
Tucker worked for the United States Postal Service for 27 years — 20 of them in Damascus. He was the town’s second mail carrier.
In 1959 he opened Tuckers Gas & Go on Main Street and in 1978 he started Richard Petroleum.
He also worked at the Druid Theater for many years before getting his own theater in Thurmont.
Celebrate Damascus was an important event to Tucker and his family, his son said, and he provided the old-fashioned trolley that took visitors from place to place during the annual festivities.
That trolley carried the Richard family in Friday’s parade. Gary Richard rode in the Model T Ford that led the parade, filling in for his father.
As Gary put it: ‘‘I’m gonna fill his shoes, and they’re big shoes to fill.”
Class of 2003to hold reunion
Damascus High School Class of 2003 will hold its five-year reunion at 7 p.m. Saturday at Clyde’s Tower Oaks in Rockville.
For more information e-mail DHS2003Reunion@gmail.com.
Damascus Theatre Company to audition for ‘Urinetown’
Damascus Theatre Company will hold auditions for ‘‘Urinetown: The Musical” from 6:30 to 9 p.m. July 25 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26 at Act Two Studio, 477 South Frederick Ave. in Gaithersburg.
The play, directed by Kevin Kuchar and produced by Barbara Lang, will be presented Oct. 23-26 at Olney Theatre Center’s Mulitz Gudelsky Theatre Lab.
Those auditioning should be prepared to read, dance and sing 32 bars of up tempo and ballad music. Callbacks, if needed, will be held after 2:30 p.m. July 26.
For character descriptions, visit www.damascustheatre.org.
For an appointment, call 301-253-6210.
Thor Teams needsmentors, tutors
Thor Teams Inc. is looking for volunteer and salaried mentors and tutors for the 2008-2009 school year.
Thor Teams is an enrichment program that provides educational and cultural experiences to financially disadvantaged youths in the Damascus community.
For more information call Mike Thornett at 301-253-6397 or e-mail to kmthorn9@verizon.net.
Summer Bash setfor Saturday
Clarksburg Baseball and Toll Brothers will present a Summer Bash from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday behind Rocky Hill Middle School, at 12743 York Mill Lane in Clarksburg.
The event will feature free food, music, games, batting cages and a visit from the Baltimore Orioles mascot.
The public is invited.
Those attending can register for fall baseball and softball.
For more information, visit www.clarksburgbaseball.com.
Items appropriate for People and Places must be received by 9 a.m. Friday. They can be mailed to The Damascus-Clarksburg Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; sent by fax to 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ssingerbart@gazette.net.
Helping needy students head back to school
Damascus Ecumenical Layman’s Association Inc. and Damascus Help are collecting back-to-school supplies again this summer for local needy children so they can start the new year with the necessary items.
Organizers of the school supply drive say area schools are telling them the need is even greater this year.
Donations can be dropped off at the following locations in the labeled, yellow boxes: Tom and Ray’s Restaurant, Damascus Senior Center, Damascus Post Office, Potomac Valley Bank, Sandy Spring Bank, Damascus Community Bank, Curves, Fitness 4 You, Music Café, Safeway, Ruyter’s Academy of Martial Arts and area churches.
Donations will be collected until Aug. 10 and all supplies will be given to children in the Damascus and Clarksburg communities.
