Richard Leo Stotts was born in 1938 in Pittsburg, Texas, to W E and Mary. He was a fifth-generation Texan, and also a fifth-generation Pittsburg resident. His sister Sylvia joined the family soon after, followed by baby Larry Dean. Tragedy engulfed this young family early on, as Larry Dean died as an infant in 1944. W E served as a Private in the 88th Calvary Reconnaissance Squadron and was killed in action in Germany in April, 1945. Mary lost her life five months later, in September, 1945, leaving seven-year-old Richard and five-year-old Sylvia to be raised by their Davis grandparents, Ma and Pa.
They lived with their aunts, uncle, and grandparents on the family farm, where Richard milked cows, planted crops, and drove a tractor. In high school, he played football, was in FFA, and enjoyed shop class and drawing. Richard graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1957. A first-generation college student, he attended Kilgore College, and then Brigham Young University. He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Eastern States mission, which included New York City. He participated in the Hill Cumorah pageant twice in Palmyra, drove through the streets of Manhattan, and welcomed visitors to the Mormon Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair.
After his mission he worked for Texas Instruments, and then was a professor of drafting at Grayson County College. He earned his Doctorate in Education at East Texas State University. He met Linda Merle Watson at a singles dance in Dallas. She and her sister were dancing with her brother Lee, and Richard cut in. They married in the Salt Lake temple in 1967. They settled in Denison and welcomed twins Kenneth and Kelly in 1968, followed by Kimberly, Larry, Leslie, and Lisa. The family moved to Houston in 1978, where Richard taught at North Harris County College and where Lori and Stephanie were born.
Raising eight children was demanding and required huge sacrifices. Richard taught his children by his example of work and service. He taught them to milk cows, gather eggs, and raise pigs on the family farm in Denison. He made school lunches and was a chauffeur to school, band, performing group rehearsals, and church youth activities. He spent 20 years driving his high schoolers to early-morning seminary before 6am on school days. He and Linda kept up the grounds of the local chapel and taught the kids how to mow, weed, and trim.
After the work was done, he enjoyed watching football, especially his beloved BYU Cougars and Dallas Cowboys, often with a root beer or Dr Pepper in hand. He was a band parent before it was a thing, and came to every football game to record the half-time show and support all eight kids in marching band. He was always a BYU Cougar fan, watching any Cougar sport he could find. He served a mission with Linda in Little Rock, Arkansas, where they oversaw seminaries and institutes. His pride and joy were always his wife, his children and their spouses, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He watched his children and grandchildren at soccer games, football games, swim meets, marching band half-time shows and competitions, concert band concerts, show choir performances, concert choir concerts, drill team half-time shows and concerts, ballets, cheering on the sidelines, voice recitals, musicals, and dance recitals. He encouraged his children and grand-children to serve missions and loved hearing their updates from around the country and world. He did not expect anyone to be anything they weren’t, and he loved inviting his family and friends to dinner and sharing what he had. He never sought fame or fortune, never owned a new car, never cared about fancy vacations, and always rolled up his blue jeans just like he did in high school. He possessed a heart of gold and always tried to do the right thing. He never preached, but led by example, expecting his children to go to church, work hard, be honest, and serve others.
Richard is survived by seven of his children (his daughter Stephanie died in 2019) and his sweet sister Sylvia. He leaves a beautiful legacy to his 33 grandchildren and four adorable great-grandchildren. The thought of his joyful reunion with his loving parents, baby brother, wife, and daughter tempers the grief and leaves us with the surety that he has lived a long and beautiful life and we will be with him again. We miss him but know he is with his loving Savior, encircled in the arms of so many family members that have eagerly awaited his return. The stories he must be telling them!
A funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Friday, January 20, 2023 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2906 Hardin Blvd, McKinney, Texas.
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Thursday, January 19, 2023 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas