It is with great sorrow that I inform you fellow THR members of the passing of our friend today. His real name is Richard Ballard of Lawrence, Kansas. I first read his posts shortly after joining THR in Dec. 2008. It didn't take me long to realize that RC was a very knowledgeable guy. He was an expert at reloading, revolvers, autos, shotguns, rifles, leather craft, knife making and lots of other crafts. I began PM to him bugging him with all sorts of questions about reloading or firearms etc. Soon we exchanged email addresses and we began almost daily correspondence. I visited him last November at his home in Lawrence.
There he entertained me with his gun collection, handmade holsters etc. I gave him a taxidermy gator head. He gave me a hand made deer antler handle hunting knife. RC was fascinated by "Swamp People" the reality TV show. He had many questions about gators and gator hunting for me, Almost as many questions as I had about guns and such. Over the following years we became very close and he shared personal things with me.
RC grew up on a small farm in Kansas, there he learned to shoot, began reloading, he hunted and had access to rifles and shotguns. His experience with firearms led to his eventual assignment in the Army.
Most may not know but RC was in the Army Marksmanship Unit in the early 1970s. He was an expert handgun shot and participated in Army handgun matches. He was a 1911 expert pistol smith. After his military career, he went to work for Hallmark Cards in Lawrence as a tool and die man. Later he was a supervisor until his retirement.
Soon after he retired his wife came down with Alzheimer's . RC stayed home with her his ENTIRE retirement. This is the reason he posted over 59,082 posts on THR. He couldn't go out shooting, hunting or fishing so he passed on his unbelievable knowledge and wit on THR!!
As many of you know RC was very generous. He passed on all kinds of reloading stuff to others, he loved strong flashlights. He gave me some 1911 mags and GI pouches as well as brass. I read that he passed on all sorts of things to others. I once asked him why he answered so many dumb questions on THR? RC said because he wanted to HELP OTHERS learn the correct way to reload etc. His attitude was exemplary and a guide for the future on THR!!
About 4 weeks ago he came down with a flu, which later turned into acute breathing problems, He was hospitalized and placed on oxygen, he was sent home with oxygen tanks. He quit smoking abruptly but it was too late. About a week later he still could not breathe well. He went back into the hospital the Doctors tried several types of drugs on his lungs nothing helped. About last Tuesday the Doctors told him he had one chance and that was to go into an induced coma so they could give him more aggressive oxygen therapy for 4 days. After the 4 days he could possibly be better if the treatment worked. Unfortunately the treatment didn't work and he passed today.
You may wonder how I know all this info?? Well RC emailed and texted me almost everyday he was in the hospital; He told me that he chose the induced coma because he did not want to live as a vegetable. After he was put into the coma he had his daughter in law email me. In that email she asked me to call her so she could tell me that RC wanted me to know what was going on. She emailed me at 12:42 today to give me the sad news.
Unfortunately while RC was in the hospital he and his family had to put his wife Wilma in a home for Alzheimer's patients, as he could no longer care for her. RC had 2 married sons and about 3 or 4 granddaughters. He was 72 years old
With a very heavy heart REST IN PEACE RC MODEL!
as his signature line said:
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Or all your primers in a glass jar!
Time has finally taken over, and we can't fight getting older! 'Kid Rock'
BULL
PS I will post the obituary when I have access to it.
