Richard William Relph

Richard William Relph, 64, of Bel Aire, Kansas - beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend went to be with the Lord on Saturday, September 12, 2020 after a brief valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born April 13, 1956 in Wichita, Kansas to Roger Thomas and Patricia Ruth (Miller) Relph, the fifth of eight children. He graduated from Wichita Heights High School in 1974. Richard worked for Boeing in different positions ending his 30+ year career as a machinist in the modification group. He began work in Wichita before transferring to Taiwan and then to the Seattle-Everett facility in 2006. He went to Taiwan to work on the Boeing Dreamliner. While there, he met and married Lyly Pham on October 15, 2006. In 2018, he retired from Boeing and he returned to Kansas with Lyly. A devout Catholic, he attended Church of the Resurrection serving the parish church family any way he was able. He was very supportive of the Boy Scouts of America where he was a troop leader for many years. His hobbies included spending time with his grandchildren, playing cards & games, and watching sports, especially the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Richard was known as a kind, gentle, even-tempered, and humble man, by all who knew him. He is survived by his parents, Roger and Patricia Relph of Bel Aire; his wife, Lyly of Bel Aire; his six children and sixteen grandchildren: Benjamin and Audra Relph, Joseph, David, Anna, Isaac, Caleb of Bel Aire; Jennifer and John Riddel, Anastacia, Anthony, Dominic, Kateri, Johnny, Kolbe; Katie and Chase Tipton, Alexis; Christina and Nicholas Kreutzer, Alexandria, Maximus, Bruce, Arabella all of Wichita; Michael Relph of Houston, TX; daughter, Hwina Yu of Bel Aire; two sisters: Patricia “Trish” and Dan Peters of Independence, MO; Mary Hope of Wichita; five brothers: Ronald and Kelly Relph of Waynesboro, MS; Robert and Beverly Relph; Randall and Mary Relph; Raymond and Joan Relph; Russell and Kathy Relph all of Wichita, thirty nieces and nephews. The Rosary will be at 7:00 pm, Friday, September 18, 2020 at Church of the Resurrection, 4910 N Woodlawn. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, September 19, 2020 at Church of the Magdalen, 12626 E 21st St North followed by burial and final blessing at Ascension Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Church of the Resurrection and Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Services in care of Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel. The family encourages friends and fellow parishioners who knew Richard to attend the services.