"The life given us by nature is short, but the memory of a well-spent life is eternal." -Marcus Tullius Cicero

Richard F. Clapp was born August 18, 1931 and died on April 18, 1999. He graduated from Michigan's Flint Central High School and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He served as a photo reconnaissance officer (First Lieutenant) in the U.S. Air Force from 1954 to 1957, and was stationed with the Strategic Air Command, 801st Reconnaissance Technical Squadron at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio. During this time, he was involved in Cold War operations with the 26th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing out of the Thule Air Base in Greenland, for which his unit received the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Following his service in the Air Force, he worked for 30 years as a commercial photographer, beginning with General Motors in Detroit and at the Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. In 1968, he left General Motors to open his own commercial studio. His clients continued to be mostly automotive and industrial companies, and he won a national award fora 1988 promotional film that he shot for McLouth Steel. He retired in 1997 but continued consulting and teaching, including classes at the Center for Creative Studies and Oakland Technical Center in Detroit, Michigan. He was a 30-year member of the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, a deacon, elder, and member of the King?€™s Men choir. He loved a good laugh, and was passionate about woodworking and the outdoors; he led scout and church youth groups on many memorable backpacking trips. Above all else he loved his family, and was an incredible husband, father, role model, and friend.