Richard Carl Elder, 75, died December 26, 2021, at home in Brunswick, Georgia. Richard was the only child of Carl Frederick and Doris Anne Elder of Mound City, Missouri.

A graduate of the University of Missouri, Columbia, in education, Richard taught music and had a dance band. Rich loved music, sang wonderful bass, and enjoyed all forms of theater. He was an active Shriner in the local Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rite.

Richard enlisted in the United States Air Force and served two tours in Viet Nam prior to posting in Colorado Springs. After military service, Richard served as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense; the private sector; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with responsibilities for the laboratories in Atlanta; and, for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, Department of Homeland Security.

Richard was baptized in the Mound City Christian Church, Mound City, and served as an Elder in the First Christian Church of Atlanta (Disciples of Christ). A kind, generous, thoughtful person, Richard is survived by his wife, Diane, from Fairfax, Missouri; Erin and Nina Elder of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Jeffrey Jackson of Valrico, Florida, Carol Backman of Brunswick, Georgia; and four grandchildren. His genuine smile and gentle humor enhanced every room. He is sorely missed.