Richard Lee Abney Obituary (1953 - 2020)

Born Dec 10, 1953, Richard Lee Abney attended Mclane High School in Fresno, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Richard Lee Abney.

Graduation Year	Class of 1972
Date of Birth	Dec 10, 1953
Date of Passing	Sep 04, 2020
About	“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learnt something from yesterday.” -John Wayne Richard Lee Abney, a true cowboy at heart, spread love and shared lessons from yesterday to make others’ tomorrows a little brighter. Richard was born in the Haight Ashbury District of San Francisco, CA on December 10, 1953 . He spent some time as a child in Kentucky, then eventually made Fresno his home with his mother, sister and two brothers. Richard attended C.L McLane High School in Fresno prior to enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1972. He trained at Camp Pendleton, CA before spending three years aboard the USS Kittyhawk; he always had great pride for his country. On September 1, 1990, Richard married his soul mate, Susan Penrod. Together, they raised a blended family in Atwater; this family became the driving force behind everything Richard did. The six children they raised together fondly called him Dad or Pops, two titles he loved. In 1992, Richard went into business with his brother Mike and the duo owned and operated Abney Construction in Atwater until 2018. His passion for a well-done project was evident in every aspect of his work; he was known as a perfectionist. Even in recent years, he picked up a job every now and then because he absolutely loved hands-on work. Richard began every work day with a pot of strong coffee and ended every work week with several strong Jack & Cokes at “Rick’s Place,” the full service bar he built in his garage. Weekly, he was joined by his family and friends he revered as family while he listened to classic rock and country music. Inevitably, the Eagles or Willie Nelson would come on and Richard would close his eyes and play the air guitar as he enjoyed the evening. On many occasions, he relished these evenings with his wife, Susan Abney, in his arms as the pair twirled around the dance floor. It can be said that Richard lived for the nights no one would remember with people he’d never forget. Richard had various hobbies outside of his work and family life. He learned many magic tricks and performed those at family gatherings. In the early 2000’s, he and Susan enjoyed weekend bike runs on their Harley Davidson with close friends and Richard’s brothers, Mike and Danny. Richard and Mike also took up cowboy shooting and Richard earned the name “One-Eyed Fat Man” at shooting tournaments. Together, Richard and Susan also cheered for the San Francisco Giants and had a friendly feud over his love for the Dallas Cowboys and hers for the San Francisco 49ers. The couple also enjoyed countless trips to Reno and Las Vegas, where they visited so frequently they often enjoyed VIP treatment. Every year, Richard expanded his holiday decoration collection for Halloween and Christmas. His attic was full of strands of lights, fog machines and holiday inflatables that donned their yard during the holiday seasons. He was like a kid on Christmas each time he purchased or was given a new piece of holiday decor, and he was always able to find the perfect spot - and an extension cord - to make it work. In 2018, he received an award from the Mayor of Atwater for the most decorated yard at Christmas time. He was so very proud. On Independence Day, Richard was known for the expansive fireworks display he would set off for the neighborhood. No expense was spared at the fireworks stand every summer; he thoroughly enjoyed lighting up the sky and celebrating his freedom in the country he adored, no matter the cost. For over two decades, Richard has been an involved grandfather to his grandchildren, who admiringly called him Papo. He and Susan were at every extracurricular event they were able to attend, from dance recitals to baseball games, football games to plays, basketball games to soccer tournaments. He was well known by his grandsons’ teammates as the grandpa who would buy candy for the team when they got a win. In the spring of 2019, Richard became ill. He fought like a warrior and demonstrated an incredible amount of determination and strength. He and Susan decided to purchase a travel trailer to tour the United States and they were able to make a handful of trips before he was too weak to go anymore. This summer they took their final trip to Nevada before coming home so Richard could make his transition to a better place, where he would no longer suffer. On September 1, 2020, Richard and Susan celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary and Richard passed peacefully just three days later on September 4, 2020. Richard Abney was preceded in death by his step father, Frank Garcia and sister, Becky Coster. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Susan (Penrod) Abney and the six children they shared together: Michelle (Gerald) Lopez; Thaddeus (Luana) Stark; Nathan (Amber) Dailey; Sondra (David) Sackett; David (Lauren) Lanum; and Jim (Sophia) Lanum. He leaves behind his mother, Lupe Garcia and brothers Danny Abney and Mike (Donna) Abney to cherish his memory. The legacy of love and pride for his eleven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, three nieces, extended family and a host of friends and neighbors is vast. Richard would would not want his family or friends to mourn his loss, but instead to celebrate the good times and love that was shared during his lifetime. Services will be private and internment will be at San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery, where Richard will be buried with military honors. In Richard’s memory, we will learn from yesterday and focus on all of our tomorrows.