Richard Elton Tredinnick

I will miss you so much, Poppy! I will miss our discussions, game playing, puzzle building, and your humor. I will miss how I never really knew if you were “pulling my leg.” I will miss our family gatherings with you and when John, Nathan, and I would meet you for lunch on Sundays after church. Time was too short. I know you are celebrating big time with our Lord and Savior, Jesus!

My dear Tredinnicks,
My heart weeps along with yours. Your father was such an incredible man who encouraged my family in faith, grace, and hospitality. It is because of your parents that my parents encountered life-changing salvation through Jesus Christ and changed the trajectory of our lives. The postings in France, Ft. Monmouth, Germany, and Virginia, built friendships not only between our parents, but between us children too. Jeff, John, and Dick inviting me and my daughters to family celebrations and shows at Centreville Pres, grew the friendship to the next generation. As you walked with me through the losses of Dad and Mom, your hugs, stories, prayers, and presence strengthened us all. I know I speak for all of my family as I offer my deepest condolences….but what a reunion he’s having now. I’m praying you find unexpected joys as your journey through this season of loss.

When I married into the Webb family in 1993, I very soon realized that I was also marrying into an extended family with the entire Tredinnick clan. My first impression of Col. Tredinnick was that of a kind, Godly, and wise man with a mischievous glint in his eyes – and all of those things proved to be so true of his nature in the years that I knew him after that.

I am honored to have known Mr. Tredinnick as well as his late wife Mrs. Tredinnick. (Yes, I am old-school – I could never think of them by any other name other than “Mr. and Mrs. Tredinnick”, but although that sounds formal, they were both like a second set of loving in-laws to me!) I will miss the lively banter with Mr. Tredinnick from all of those Webb/Tredinnick bulgogi parties!

I can tell just from some of the posts on this guest book that through their faithful service to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, Mr. and Mrs. Tredinnick made an eternal impact on many that continues through the generations just like ripples in a pond from a pebble thrown in.

I am grateful for the friendships I have developed with all of the Tredinnick family and am sad for each of them as I know they will deeply miss him. I know he is probably up in Heaven wearing that baseball hat with the attached ponytail, laughing it up with Jesus and being reunited with many loved ones who have gone Home before him. I know I’ll be able to give him and Mrs. Tredinnick big bear hugs when I see them again one day.

For the Tredinnicks on this side of Heaven, I send you much love and giant hugs!

Jim and I offer our deepest condolences to Dick’s family. We had the privilege to be in a CPC small group bible study with Dick and learned of his deep faith, knowledge of scripture and love of the Lord. We pray for God’s special comfort for you all during this time of grief.

Carol and Dick made such an impact on my life when we moved to Virginia. Carol was like my second mother. She included me on so many of your family events to make me feel like I was family. Y’all were kind enough to accept me and I am grateful for that. Dick was always with her and had such a big warm and welcoming spirit.

He had so much life still in him when I talk to him on his 89 birthday. Big plans and excited about traveling. It’s so hard to believe that in one day your whole life could be turned around.

It was great to be able to talk to Jeff and John on the phone. John definitely made a big impact on our life when we first got to Virginia. He brought his buddies, to help us move in. He brought us our first Christmas tree when we were arriving at our Virginia home. Those memories will last forever. Carol and Dick were right there, standing at the door of our new home to…. Welcome us to Virginia.

My heart is heavy as I say good- by to, Dick. But I am certain he is greeting Carol and my mom in heaven. If we could just hear their conversations. 🙂 They are all so happy now.

When my husband, 2nd Lt. Dick Webb and I arrived in Augsburg, Germany in January 1959 for Dick’s first real Army assignment, we had no idea about the life and adventures that lay ahead of us. And most of them involved our soon-to-be-friends, Dick and Carole Tredinnick.
A few months later, Lt. Dick Tredinnick also arrived in Augsburg, and soon announced that his girlfriend, nurse Carole Pomeroy from NYC, would be coming over to marry him.
It didn’t work out with the other couple that Dick had first selected to be the best man and matron-of- honor, because Dick and Carole weren’t Catholic. So, my husband Dick and I were second choice to stand up for them at their wedding on Dec. 3, 1959.
And I’m so glad we were! What a wonderful blessing our second-place friendship turned out to be!
We would take turns taking care of each other’s babies, little Ricky, born on Dec.5, 1960, and our Andy, born two months later. This gave us an opportunity to tour Europe whenever our husbands could get leave.
My husband Dick and I went on a trip through Scandinavia in August 1961. The Tredinnick’s were caretakers for our son.
On Sunday, August 13, a very important world event happened….. the start of the Building of the Berlin Wall!!
And as the week progressed, the actual wall itself was growing higher and wider.
My husband Dick and I were reading every English language newspaper in Sweden and Norway that we could find! We were wondering how the Americans would respond. It seemed we were caught flat-footed and were doing nothing.
Dick and I were very upset and frustrated.
Then we started wondering about such things as…. Would war break out in Europe?
Was this going to lead to WW III? Would the American civilians and families be evacuated on an emergency basis?
At the end of the week, it was time to head south to our home in Augsburg. While we were still in Northern Germany, we ran into a huge American convoy going the opposite direction on the autobahn. What were they doing that far north?
At the American Snack Bar in Kassell, Germany, we found out. The convoy was on the way to Berlin!! Finally! The Americans were actually doing something!
This had been an emotional week of turmoil, worries, big unknowns, highs and lows, ups and downs. But as I looked back on that period in our lives, I am simply flabbergasted and amazed—- not once did I worry about our beloved six-month old son Andy or what would happen to him if Europe suddenly turned into chaos.
What kind of mother was I? Had I lost my mind?
The answer, of course, is “no”.
It didn’t occur to me to be concerned because we could rest assured that Andy would be well and safely cared for because he was in the very capable and loving hands of the Tredinnick’s.
How blessed we were to have friends like that, and for so many years, too.
Life in Augsburg was special in other ways, also. My husband Dick and I, although already churchgoers, became born-again Christians. Through the ministry of Officers Christian Fellowship (OCF) and esp. Col. Ira and his wife Helen Palm, the Tredinnick’s, the Webbs, and many others came to genuine faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
Carole had said early on that she didn’t want to live a life with friends who are constantly moving “fly-by-night friends”. Through the many years, we teased Dick and Carole with their three sons, Rick, Jeff, and John, with our three sons, Andy, David, and Brian, that we were still “fly-by-night” friends!
We were truly the best of friends; constantly visiting one another no matter where on the globe we happened to live at the time.
Any member of either family always knew they were always welcome in either home at any time.
We shared our faith together; we bought a house together as a shared investment; our Christmas bulgogi dinners became an annual event. There was Lots of Fun and Laughter!
They loved and cared for me and my family when my husband Dick died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 1998. I appreciated Dick Tredinnick so much at that time. He offered to speak at the Memorial Service, and I was told that he did the best job of anyone.
I’m glad that the two Dick’s had such a strong and warm friendship and fellowship in the Lord.
I have been so blessed to have Dick Tredinnick in my life. He had such a great sense of humor. He kept his cool under very difficult circumstances. He raised a family who knew he had their best interest at heart and who remained close to him and to each other.
Love and Goodbye, Dear Friend, Dick. I look forward to the time when we meet again.