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Richard Thomas Lapham Sr., 94, of Salisbury North Carolina, passed away on Friday July 21, 2023.
Richard was born on October 13, 1928, to Tom and Ruth Lapham in Syracuse, NY. He graduated from Syracuse Central High School. All his life he was interested in Art and Photography. He started his own photo business at the age of 17.
In 1950, Richard married his high school sweetheart Ella May Wild and went on to have three children, Richard Jr., Roderick, and Randy.
After many years in sales as Regional and National Manager for several fortune five hundred companies, Richard retired early and moved to Myrtle Beach, SC. There Richard opened an Art Supply, Frame Shop and Art Gallery. This is where his love of art creativity flourished, producing over 1,000 paintings.
In 2007, Richard and Ella made their last move and retired in Salisbury, NC.
He was preceded in death by his mom, Ruth, his dad, Tom, and many beloved pets. Richard is survived by his wife Ella and their three boys.
Services will be held at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Salisbury NC on Thursday July 27th at 11:00AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), an organization Richard felt strongly about.
Carolina Cremation is honored to serve the Lapham family. Online condolences may be made at www.carolinacremation.com.
Joyce Rohm says
So very sorry for the loss of your Dad. May he rest in heaven. Peace be with you
Jim and Carla Mallinson says
So sorry to hear of Dick’s passing. We were friends with him and Ellie at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church before we moved to the Raleigh area six years ago. We still have a print of a seascape by Dick in our dining room. Condolences to Ellie and the entire Lapham family. Dick was surely one of a kind.