November 15th, 1924 - August 12th, 2018
Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Wilmot family.
LIFE SKETCH OF RICHARD (DICK) WAYNE WILMOT, SR.
Richard Wayne Wilmot (Dick) was born November 15, 1924 in Des Moines, IA to Lewis F. & Alida Kitti Wilmot, their 9th child (twelve grew to adulthood and one died in infancy).
Dick attended his first ten grades in Des Moines schools and his last two years of high school at Oak Park Academy in Nevada, IA, graduating in 1942.
He started Union College, in Lincoln, NE, in the fall of 1942, however because of WWII and his strong patriotic spirit, Dick decided to delay his college education and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in January 1943. He served in the Navy as a dental assistant, working on the troop transport USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145), the destroyer tender USS Shenandoah (AD-26), and the Midway-class aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42). Part of his service was in the US Navy’s 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. On August 4, 1947 Dick was awarded the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged November 1947, having reached the rank of Pharmacist’s Mate Second Class.
Dick went back to Union College in January 1948. While attending there he met and became attracted to Naomi Schwab. The feelings were mutual and on May 28, 1950 they were married in Manhattan, KS, Naomi’s home church. Their first son, Richard Wayne, Jr. (Rick) was born April 1, 1952 in Lincoln, one month before Dick graduated. Dick then added a Sr. to his name. He graduated in May with a Business major and History and Religion minors. A second son, Stephen Bruce (Steve), was added to the family on December 29, 1955, in Takoma Park, MD.
Throughout his career Dick worked in finances for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He first served at the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital and then at General Conference Insurance (Maryland and Washington D.C.) 1952-’56, then Maplewood Academy (Minnesota) 1956-’58, Nile Union (Egypt) 1958-’61, Middle East Division (Lebanon) 1961-’68, South Dakota Conference 1968-’70, Minnesota Conference 1970-’74, Idaho Conference 1974-’77, Canadian Union 1977-’81, Eastern Africa Division (Cyprus and Kenya) 1981-’84, and finally for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Washington D.C.) 1984-’87. At the Minnesota Campmeeting in June of 1972 Dick was ordained to the Gospel Ministry.
In 1987 Dick retired and he and Naomi moved to Loma Linda, CA, where he took up golf as a hobby, as well as doing some volunteer financial work. Dick has the distinction of having made 5 holes-in-one in his golfing, a very rare accomplishment for an amateur.
Dick and Naomi moved to Lodi, CA in 2010 to be nearer their two sons.
Dick died in Lodi early the morning of Sunday, August 12, 2018, three months shy of his 94th birthday.
He was preceded in death by his parents and nine siblings. He is survived by: his wife, Naomi, sons Rick (Debby) and Steve (Gina), three siblings, Shirley Warner, Jean Gregerson, and Jim Wilmot, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Dick had a strong faith in the soon return of Jesus and it was his sincerest desire that he and others be ready for that event. He believed that to miss out on that Day was to miss out on everything.
As per his wishes, there will be no final services.
