Douglas M. Richards, was born July 18, 1934 in Bozeman, Montana. He went home to be with the Lord on April 16, 2026.

Doug was born to Bob and Sara Richards and was the youngest of 5 boys. His older brother Bruce was nicknamed “Skinny Richards” and Doug was “Little Skin”. He graduated from Montana State College (now University) with a degree in Architecture. Go Bobcats!

After college he decided to join the Air Force, but when the Air Force recruiting office was closed for lunch, he opted to join the Navy instead. His time in the Navy took him all over the world with much of his time spent on an icebreaker in the Antarctic. In his later years he enjoyed many reunions with his shipmates from the USS Glacier. He absolutely loved the Navy and after his active duty stayed on in the Naval Reserves and retired as a Commander.

In 1961, while transporting some Navy documents, he had the great fortune (not a typo!) to have a car accident right in front of the Dover Air Force Hospital where Nurse/Captain Ruthie Montgomery worked. The rest as they say is history. They married on April 14, 1962 and moved back to Montana settling in Great Falls. They had three children and a full life. After a brief stint in Medford, Oregon, they moved to Boise in 1977.

Doug spent much of his career as a Building Engineer for various hospitals and then the Boise Cascade building. He finished his working years at the State of Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services which allowed him to travel to the various nooks and crannies of Idaho. Right up his alley. He retired in 1995 and he and Ruth enjoyed walking the Greenbelt everyday with the obligatory stop at Pastry Perfection for a cinnamon roll. They also enjoyed hiking and a bucket list trip to Alaska.

He enjoyed so many hobbies including skiing, ice hockey, building and flying radio-controlled airplanes and sailing his small sailboat.

When he had a stroke in 2001, his life changed, but not his positive outlook. Thanks to the incredible care my mom provided, he was able to live at home until the last year of his life.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his four brothers and his daughter, Martha. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Richards; daughter Carol Wickizer (Dean); son Doug Richards (Sheryl) and his five grandchildren, Sasha, Sara (Garth), Laura (Skylar), Katelin and David and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family is truly grateful for the amazing staff at Avista Senior Living-Garden City and White Oak Hospice who took such wonderful care of Doug (and us too!). Thank you!

Doug’s life was the very definition of a “life well lived” and we are so grateful for it. 

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Eagle Christian Church located at 100 S. Short Lane Eagle, Idaho 83616 with a private interment at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.   Condolences may be left for the family at www.bowmanfuneral.com