Richard Lee Engle

On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Richard Lee Engle, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away at the age of 65 in Canon City, Colorado. 

Rick was born on December 28, 1955, the youngest of eight children. His parents were Norwood Engle and Mildred Crone. He grew up near the Susquehanna River, in the countryside town of Liverpool, Pennsylvania, where he attended Greenwood School District for his elementary and high school education. Rick was a mischievous boy who loved to work with his horse and play in the woods, but he was also a dutiful son, who worked hard to help his mother with the kennel, chores and animals.

Both his playful spirit and work ethic followed him to various jobs; he worked at R.E. Davidson and Son, Laubach’s, and Moyers before striking out on his own as a construction contractor. He worked regularly with Tim Sagle, the Adcock family in Manheim, and then with McComb Lumber in Colorado. It was hard to outwork Rick, and he taught his children and the people around him how to keep going until the job was done.

Rick was also a dedicated follower of Jesus. He attended Shermans Dale Seventh-day Adventist Church weekly and served as a deacon, an elder, and a witness for Christ to his children and grandchildren, some of whom are still members there. He later joined Canon City Seventh-day Adventist Church when he moved to Colorado and served again as an elder and witness to another church family, new coworkers, and a new community. 

Rick loved mechanical and creative pursuits. He was masterful at repairing and building things, often problem-solving and imagining solutions that could astound the most brilliant engineer. He loved NASCAR and was proud to have had a photo taken with Dale Earnhardt, whom he referred to as “the greatest driver of all time”.  Rick also was a Corvette fanatic, owning an astonishing 39 different ‘Vettes throughout his lifetime. But he was known best for his loving heart, his generosity to others, and his dedication to his adored wife, Judy, and his children and grandchildren, whether they were born by blood or chosen by love.  

Ultimately, his inspiring generosity and loving heart were the product of his faithfulness to God. Rick would want to encourage anyone reading this to pursue their own personal friendship with Jesus Christ. It is in Him that we have this hope of seeing Rick again and celebrating victory with the Savior on resurrection day.

Rick is survived by many cherished loved ones: Judy McComb Engle (united in marriage on June 29, 2014); his children, their spouses and grandchildren: April (Thad; Skyla, Briella, Sterling), Rick (Sierra, Landon, Tristan), Lance (Jordana; Arielle, Calvin, Bentley), and Spencer (Paige); Judy’s children, their spouses and grandchildren: Bobbi (Wayne; Kaleb, Kamron, Kyler, Haley), Michael (Jodi; Sheldin, Dawson), Chad (Tristan; Elaina, Hunter), Stacey (Amy; Della, Ira), and Shawndra; his siblings: Kenny, Sandy, Ronnie, Diane, Linda, Ralph, and Bob; his dear friend for many years, Tim Sagle; and numerous nieces and nephews and extended family members and friends whom he cared for deeply. 

Services will be held Sunday, June 6, 2021 at Canon City Seventh-day Adventist Church, located at 3180 East Main Street. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m. (a Livestream of the service will be available through the Canon City Seventh-day Adventist Church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mercytrumpsjudgment). 

The Interment will follow the service at Penrose Cemetery. Following the burial, a meal will be served in the Canon City Seventh-day Adventist Church fellowship hall for family members, out-of-town and invited guests. 

A Celebration of Life will also be held in Pennsylvania on July 18, 2021. Details are being determined at this time. If you would like to receive announcements for the Pennsylvania Celebration of Life, please email ricksmemories1955@gmail.com. 

We also would like to encourage anyone who would like to share a memory or photo of Rick to send them to ricksmemories1955@gmail.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to 4 Mile Adventist Christian School at 3180 East Main Canon City, CO 81212 or 719-275-6111 (please leave a message and someone will return your call).

Finally, the family would like to thank Harwood Cremation and Funeral Service for coordinating these arrangements.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard Lee Engle, please visit our floral store.