Richard "Ricky" Gerald Gofton

Richard "Ricky" Gerald Gofton

Hiawatha

Richard "Ricky" Gerald Gofton passed away on Thursday, April 6, 2023, after a difficult battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Richard was born Sept. 1, 1955 in Miami, Fla. As a child, he loved to spend time with his Granny and Papa Thompson on their farm, churning butter, taking care of animals, fishing, selling peaches from the farm and shooting flies and squirrels with his homemade slingshot. After graduating from South Dade High School in 1973, he worked as an auto mechanic at Flamingo Ford in Homestead, Fla. He was dedicated to our country and served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force from 1975 to 1995, where he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.

Richard and his wife, Judie, met while attending classes at Kirkwood Community College in 1995 and married in Cedar Rapids in 1997. After graduating with an A.S.S. degree, he first worked at MCI and then Pearson Educational Measurements as a computer programmer/system analyst. Richard enjoyed traveling with his boys to visit relatives in Tennessee, tournament fishing in Florida, target practice and woodworking.

Richard is survived by his wife, Judie; sons, James and Nicholas; mother, Estelle Gofton; sister, Nanci (Don) Weldon; sister, Michelle (Terry) Jones; father-in-law, Ken Plotz; sister-in-law, Julie (Kelley) Prull; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceded in death by his father, Gerald Gofton; niece, Kelli Kauffman; nephew, Philip Jones; nephew, William Markham; and mother-in-law, Jerry Plotz.

Military honors and Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.