Obituary of Richard Percy

Richard Gird Percy, Jr., known as "Dick Percy" to everyone that knew him, passed away on September 6, 2013. He was the second child born ot Gird and Helen Percy on March 22, 1917. They were a ranching family, in Ventura County, running cattle and harvesting their orange groves. He wanted nothing more than to live a cowboy's life on his own ranch.Sadly, his mother died young when Dick was 9 years old, and life changed for him and his siblings. The family lost most of their wealth in the Great Depression. His dad remarried and the family moved from Ojai to Chico where he entered Chico High School, graduating in 1936.In April, 1941, Dick sailed from San Francisco; through the Golden Gate aboard the luxury cruise ship S.S. Lauraline to Hawaii, then 2 months later, aboard a Pan Am China Clipper headed for the South Pacific. He had a 9-month contract with Pacific Naval Base Contractors, as a heavy equipment operator to build an airbase on Wake Island for the United States. They would be under the protection of US Navy and Marine personnel, due to its 'military value.' The assumption was that we would be entering WWII eventually, so the US Government was trying to get ahead of the stategy by taking over Wake Island.On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor; five hours later they bombed Wake Island, and continued to do so for 2 weeks. It was a fierce fight and when they lost their last plane, they surrendered and were taken as Prisoners of War. Two other Chico men taken prisoner were, Charles Meyers and his father. In September, 1942, he was shipped on the hell ship Kyokko Maru from Wake Island to Japan as slave labor for the next 3 years, building a dam in Sasebo, then 'sold' to a second camp at Hakozaki, building an airbase. He is quoted as saying 'I thought I would never cross back under the Golden Gate Bridge again.'When the war ended, he was flown by the military to the Philippiness for 2 months, then back to the U.S. Upon returning to Chico, he reconnected with Maye Francis Chatfield, whom he had known at Chico High School. They were married in 1946. He helped raise a stepdaughter, Judith Lynn Vaughn, living and working ranches in Glenwood, Washington and Jasper, Oregon (where he put in the Willamette Dam) and a daughter, Denice Helen Percy was born in 1949.They returned to Chico in 1951 and Dick took a job, again with an engineering firm, to put in an airbase in French Morroco, again to protect the U.S., this time from the possibility of war with Russia. In Chico, they lived on 2 small ranches, one on Garner Lane, and one on Morseman. In 1956, they divorced.Dick remained in Chico as a crane/heavy equipment operator, building several of the buildings on the Chico State University campus. He built most of the footbridges in town, including the bridge that crosses 5-mile dam. He used his equipment to clear it out each summer so the swimming was great for everyone. He built all the Hwy 99 overpasses in town. He also worked at the Missle Base.He had to 'tear down' buildings from time to time including his own first home in High School. He told us that he put the wrecking ball through 'his room' first. It is now a church on The Esplanade. He also tore down the Park Hotel, among others.In 1961 he married Margaret Ann Peterson. In 1963, a daughter, Roberta Lynn Percy was born. They supported a couple acres in Chico, on Hosler Ave, planting several fruit trees, raising a few head of cattle, horses, several GREAT dogs, as well as a few stray cats. He water-skied and hunted birds on the Sacramento River and on a friend's ranch in Corning. He hunted deer by horseback at Fall Creek, taking longer hunts in Wyoming and Nevada. In 1981 he divorced.Dick remained on his ranchette. He enjoyed the challenge of fly-fishing from the rugged banks of Kimshew Creek (Lassen) and Swan Lake (Alaska) as much as making relaxing casts into McCumber Lake from his boat with his dog-friend by his side. As a young man he hiked the Trinity Alps, fished its high-lakes and feasted on a bounty of pan-sized trout. He continued the lifestyle of a great outdoorsman up into his 80's.In April, 2011, at the age of 94, he was no longer able to live independently. His daughter, Denice brought him to Oregon to live out his life comfortably and to be close to family. It was a full life, with lots of adventure. He traveled to nearly every state in the Union and many countries around the world...but he always came home to Chico.He leaves behind 2 daughters, Bobbi Percy and Denice Loewen (husband Eugene), stepdaughter, Judith Kiggins (husband Craig), 3 grandchildren, Aaron Slattery, Rachel Bourland, Colleen Slattery and 2 great-grandchildren, Hannah and Brielle Bourland.A Military Memorial Service will be held at Brusie's Chapel, in Chico, California, Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 4:00 PM.