Richard Taylor Lyford, Jr.

Richard Taylor Lyford, Jr. – Age 88

Born November 15, 1931 in Philadelphia, PA, he was a graduate of the Episcopal Academy and Trinity College, Hartford, CT, where he was president of his fraternity, Delta Kappa Epsilon. Mr. Lyford passed away September 30, 2020.

He served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force during the Korean War at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver and later in Northern Japan.

Following his discharge in 1956, Mr. Lyford relocated to Denver, CO where he began a long career on the staff and later as an Arthritis Foundation volunteer which spanned 60+ years. He met and married his wife, Diana Charlton. They were married by his father on July 26th, 1958 at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Denver.

Mr. Lyford spent 27 years as a financial planner for Connecticut General Insurance which after several acquisitions is now known as Lincoln National. During that time, he was made a life member of that company's President's Club and was elected President of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Chartered Life Underwriters in 1976. He retired in in 1986.

He was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Denver where he served on the vestry, chaired Every Member Canvass, been a lay reader, head usher and had been a member of the Search Committee for a new Dean.

For many years he was the Class Agent for his class of 1953 at Trinity College where his grandfather had also graduated as well as two of his four children. He chaired his 50th Reunion in 2003 and was awarded the Alumni Medal for Excellence in service to his college, his community and his profession.

He had been Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, a national trustee and chairman of the National Nominating Committee. He was a co-founder of the Arthritis Golf Classic in 1979 which since its inception has raised over 2 ½ million dollars. It was named Best Charitable Golf Tournament in his state by the Denver Post in the late 1980's. He had received the Chapter's Distinguished Service Award for meritorious service.

He loved golf and a carried a single digit handicap into his late seventies. Dick played 157 courses in Colorado and over 300 courses around the world. He and Diana travelled extensively and visited over 60 countries.

He was chairman of the Events Committee of the Colorado Senior Golf Association for 26 years in charge of arranging all the summer and winter outings. He chaired the organization in 2007. A trophy, originally awarded in 1948 at the Denver Country Club was renamed the Richard T. Lyford trophy in his honor by CSGA in 2007.

He was a member of the Denver Country Club, the University Club and had been a member of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. Dick helped to found and chair the 1673 Capital Gifts Fund at the University Club which funded many needed capital improvements. For this he received the Royal Order of the Gilded Clam with Oak Leaf Clusters for his efforts. He served on the Board of Directors several years into the early 2000's.

He leaves his wife of over sixty years, Diana and four children, all of Denver; Ashley Lyford Schumar (Michael Schumar), Richard T. Lyford, III, Cary Lyford (John Self) and Andrew C. Lyford (Beth Lyford) and six grandchildren; Sara Schumar, Hannah & Connor Lyford, Kellen & Ryan Self and Grace Lyford.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to St. John's Cathedral, 1350 Washington St. Denver, CO 80203. A small, private immediate family service is planned.