Richard Bagby

Richard Caldwell Bagby, Jr. was born on January 22, 1944 to Charlene Snyder Bagby and Richard Caldwell Bagby in Charlotte, N.C.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Allen Bagby. Richard, and his sister, Jan Bagby Summers. He is survived by his loving wife, Gail Geiger Bagby, two children, Alyson Taylor Stockton (Gary) and Michael Taylor (Nada), two stepchildren: Sheri Lobach Spivey (Don) and Jill Lobach Atchley (Kevin), and grandchildren: Taylor Atchley, Dustin Atchley (Sarah Mae), Jarod Atchley, Hunter Spivey, Mallory Spivey, and Mason Stockton.  Other surviving family include nephew, Rick Bagby (Jennifer), and two nieces Lori Bagby Little, and Leigh Summers Dickenson (Brian).

Born and raised in south central North Carolina, Dick Bagby knew he would become a weatherman by the age of 14. His 7th grade science teacher had an enormous impact on his life and helped to set the trajectory of his pursuit of understanding the weather.  With the support from his family, his fascination for meteorology grew and before graduation from high school, Dick had worked two summers as a Student Trainee at the Raleigh-Durham Airport weather station.  While many of his friends left for in-state colleges and universities, Dick headed south to Florida State University to pursue a degree in meteorology. Shortly after meeting and dating a co-ed named Gail Geiger, he was accepted for a meteorological technician position at the Amundsen-Scott Station, South Pole, Antarctica where he spent a year launching weather balloons and providing surface weather observations for aviation.

Upon returning to Tallahassee, Florida, Dick found that FSU had waited; Gail did not. It would be a full 40 years before Dick and Gail would re-unite through Classmates.com, rekindle their friendship and eventually marry.

After graduating from FSU with a B.S. in Meteorology, Dick enlisted in the United States Air Force. Second Lieutenant Bagby was assigned to Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois.  From there, assignments followed to Korea, Hawaii, the Pentagon, Headquarters, Air Weather Service, command positions in England, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and finally an executive officer position at Air Weather Services’ Global Weather Central at Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska.

While in Nebraska, Dick completed an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.  After 21 years of service, three Air Force Commendation Medals, and Four Meritorious Service metals, Major Bagby retired and moved to St. Augustine.

Having enjoyed teaching college math while in Turkey and becoming bored with fishing nearly every day at the beach, Dick applied for a faculty position at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at Daytona Beach, Florida. He passed on his passion for weather to thousands of students who now work around the world. These students were not only at the Daytona Beach campus, but also in satellite campuses in Prescott, Arizona and MITRE Corporation in Vienna, Virginia using the emerging technology of virtual classrooms.

While at Embry-Riddle, Dick led the effort to establish and undergraduate degree in Applied Meteorology. During his 18 years there, he was an associate professor, chair of the Applied Meteorology department, and finally retired as Professor Emeritus. The Outstanding Graduating Senior in Applied Meteorology Award was named the Bagby Award, in his honor.

On December 26, 2004, Dick and Gail married and bought a home in Leesburg, FL.  Only nine months later on the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a tidal surge of 25-35 feet.  Areas east of Waveland, Mississippi bore the brunt of her wind and storm surge. Since the media was focused on the flooding in New Orleans, much of the nation was unaware of the loss and suffering of South Mississippi. Upon their pastor’s return from Biloxi, after leading a small group of volunteers with supplies to try to assist in the clean-up, and after hearing of the great need for more volunteers, Dick and Gail loaded up their RV and were sent by their church, with direction from Florida Baptist Disaster Relief, to Lemoyne Blvd. Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS. The short-term mission trip became a 5-year love affair with the community. During their time at Lemoyne Blvd. Baptist Church over 200 homes were rebuilt, 17 new homes for elderly and disabled were built and over 5000 volunteers from Canada and the U.S. came through the church to help.  Dick and Gail eventually moved to the area permanently, due to the amazing friends they had made through this experience.

Richard loved to travel. He and Gail went on multiple cruises, a European vacation, served as volunteers at Ridgecrest Baptist Conference Center in Ridgecrest, NC, RV travels to Western Canada, the Pacific Coast Highway, and across the U.S.  They regularly attended Air Force and high school reunions for both he and Gail.   Richard had traveled to many locations around the world, but the final trip back to England for the Fairford Weather Warriors Reunion, at the New Inn, Lechlade Thames was the one he had most looked forward to.  He saw many  old friends, some that he had not seen for over 40 years.

During the trip to England, they traveled with fellow Hurricane Katrina volunteers, Jim and Ruth Huston. Together they toured Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland, the village of Bagby, and the Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey) in Newberry.

Dick was a packrat and saved EVERYTHING.  Upon his passing Gail has found Boy Scout paraphernalia, a notebook of Korean war newspaper clippings he collected in elementary school, notebooks of communications he wrote to those under his command in Turkey, letters from his parents, pottery collected by his mother, and a host of random items that held a special place in his heart.  If you ever gave him something, it may still be in a box in their garage.

Dick was a sentimental soul, a true gentleman, and was known for his quick wit, smile, and generosity. A friend once said, “Richard doesn’t speak often, but when he does it is either funny or profound.”

The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 8, 2021, at RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 274 Beauvoir Road, Biloxi, with the visitation starting at 9:30 a.m. until time of the service.  Burial will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery with full honors.

Richard, you will be missed. We are happy you are no longer in pain, and since you committed your life to Christ 16 years ago, we know that you are safe in the comfort and presence of God.  “To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord. “ 2 Corinthians 5:8

The words of the apostle, Paul, one of Richard’s favorite heroes of the Bible resonated with Richard in his final journey home.

2 Timothy 4:7-8   “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”