Richard I. Stephenson

Stephenson, Richard I., 72, passed away Wednesday, December 30, 2009. Funeral service will be at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, January 5, at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. Richard was born October 13, 1937 in Augusta, KS to Paul N. and Dorothy (Ismert) Stephenson. He graduated from Augusta High School in 1954 and the University of Kansas in 1958. Richard was an honors graduate receiving his BA in Political Science. He received the Hildon Gibson Award - Outstanding Student in the Social Sciences, was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha - National Honor Fraternity in Political Science and Beta Theta Pi - Social Fraternity. Richard graduated Naval Officers Candidate in 1959 as an Ensign. He was stationed at the Naval Base in Guam, and was an Intelligence Analyst at the National Security Agency in Ft. Meade, MD. He was released from active duty in July 1962 as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade. Inactive duty was spent in the USNR through June 1972. He was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant. Richard received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School in 1965. He was admitted to the Kansas Bar, United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals (10th Circuit) in 1965. Richard went into private practice in Wichita at Fleeson, Gooing, Coulson and Kitch as an Associate Lawyer, 1962-1972 and as a Partner, 1973-1995; he was a Special Trial Counsel for Wichita State University (NCAA Investigations in the 1980s); was a member of the American, Wichita and Kansas Bar Associations; International Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association Forum Committee on Franchising, American Bar Association Committee, Tax and Insurance Practice, Federal Mediation, and was listed in the American Whos Who on American Law and Whos Who in the World. In 1996 he became a General Counsel for RAGE, Inc., and affiliated companies. Richard was a member of the Wichita Country Club and was president in 2000. He enjoyed golfing and fishing. Preceded in death by his parents and sister, Cynthia Beckman. Survivors: wife, Linda Cox Stephenson; son, Richard W. Stephenson of Overland Park, KS; daughters, Anne Keller (Kent) of Florida and Tamara January (Terry) of Hesston, KS; nephews, Paul and Ed Grandle; 2 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established with the Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS, 67219 and Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church, 1600 W. 27th N., Wichita, KS, 67204. Downing Lahey Mortuary East.