Name: Richard Gleason

Service branch: Navy

Richard Gleason was born on May 3, 1946, in Bristol, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. He enlisted in the Navy because he did not wish to serve in the Army and because his father had served in the Navy during World War II.

Gleason’s first duty station, for about one year, was at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. From there, he went to New London, Connecticut, to attend submarine school. Following the submarine training, he was assigned to the USS Swordfish SSN 579, which was based at Pearl Habor, Hawaii. He served on the Swordfish for about two years, attaining the rank of CS2 (E-5), and was honorably discharged in 1971.

After the service, Gleason attended Western Colorado University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in history. It was there that he met his wife, Kaye, and they were married in her hometown of Lawton, Oklahoma. Richard and Kaye Gleason lived for many years in Visalia. Kaye was a registered nurse, and Richard built a career there as a high school counselor and history teacher.The Gleasons came to Eureka for the summers to seek relief from the heat. It is not unusual for the temperature to reach 100 degrees in Visalia in the summer. Also, their son attended Humboldt State University here.

The Gleasons finally moved to Humboldt County for good in 2020. They love the weather here, the clean, cool air, and the natural beauty that surrounds us. Richard spends a lot of time at the Health Sport gym, and he goes for 5-mile walks at Sequoia Park most days of the week. They are thankful every day for Humboldt County and the people here.