Richard Castle, Class of 1956

Richard Castle died April 19, 2022. He was born on April 11, 1934 in Rosewood, Ohio to the late Russel and Twylah (Clark) Castle. Richard graduated from Urbana High School. He was active in sports, receiving 3 varsity letters, one in basketball and two in football. He was the president of varsity U his junior year. Richard also was part of the music choir for 4 years. He graduated from Otterbein College with a B.S., ranked 15 of 125. There he was on the Student Council for 2 years and campus Greek Council for 1 year as part of the Eta Phi Mu (Jonda) fraternity. He was the student commander of the AFROTC detachment his senior year. Richard later attended Ohio University, Athens, Ohio where he received his M.S. and Ph.D in Nuclear Physics, a technically rigorous program. He was the original Ph.D graduate in physics at OU, the Ph.D program that later had a Nobel Laureate as a graduate. His Ph.D thesis was published in the Physical Review, an unusual honor for a new graduate.

Richard was employed for many years at Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio as a physicist with a specialty in Nuclear Weapons for the Department of Defense and strategic and technical applications of these effects. He also served as an on-site director of nuclear testing at the test site in Nevada. Richard taught for many years as an adjunct at Wright State and Ohio University in Physics and Math. He also taught many years as a substitute teacher in many local public schools at all levels, including Hillsboro City Schools at the FRS Special Needs School. “All of these assignments were a complete labor of love since I very much prefer these kids over University kids for their enthusiastic involvement with you in all the aspects of their school experience (most of the time).” Richard selflessly served our country in the Air Force for 3 years as a Fighter Pilot. He graduated from all of the strenuous Fighter Pilot gunnery schools at Luke AFB, Phoenix, AZ, Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV, and was first in his class at Nellis. Richard was assigned to the prestigious 4th Tactical Fighter Wing in North Carolina. He was the only new pilot selected that year. In recent years, he served as a private pilot.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by his loving wife Amaryllis Lee (McDaniel) Castle and sister, Phyllis Jean. Richard is survived by his two sons; Richard ‘Rick’ and Russel ‘Mike’ Castle, sister, Beatrice Sanders, and many nieces and nephews.