Francis Richard Lambert

Commander Francis Richard "Dick" Lambert (USNR Ret) passed away on August 25, 2019. He was born in Philadelphia in 1934, and attended St. Columba Catholic School where he was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph. His family moved to Cape May Point, NJ, in 1948, a seashore resort about a mile from the better known Cape May where President Abe Lincoln vacationed. Over the years, Dick frequently recalled, "I thought I was escaping the Sisters who were my teachers in Philadelphia. Hah, the joke was on me! Cape May Point is the summer vacation home of the Sisters. So, all summer long, we were inundated by the nuns whom the locals called Penguins because of their habits." "Many of the nuns were schoolmates of my mother and would call on her at our house," Dick wrote in his memoirs. "I saw a delightful side of these wonderful ladies that I'd never experienced at St. Columba's elementary school. I owe them a debt of gratitude for their valiant efforts at attempting to educate me." He loved the Point and the surrounding area where he spent much of his high school years tramping the woods and beaches and fishing in the sea off the beach. "We couldn't afford a boat," he lamented. After graduating from high school, he joined the US Air Force and after basic training, was sent immediately to Korea as a private in the rear ranks and ultimately left the Air Force as a Staff Sergeant four years later. Using the GI Bill for Veterans, he earned a degree in business from the University of Maryland. He then attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI, received a Naval commission in 1960, and was sent to the west coast to serve with the Navy's Pacific Fleet. While in California, he met his "first wife," Anita. Writing in his memoirs, he recalled, "Prior to acquiring a family, including a nice Italian girl with three daughters (Kelah, Bridgette and Tori), I and some neat guys called US Marines went to invade Cuber (sic)." Shortly after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Dick received orders to Notre Dame where he taught navigation to NROTC students for three years. While there, he earned his Masters Degree. From there, he went to Vietnam where he served with the 9th US Army Infantry in the Mekong River Delta after establishing himself as "something of an expert on amphibious warfare." When he returned from Vietnam, the family was stationed at Little Creek, VA, where he taught survival training. "Then we lived in Newport, RI, where our fourth and youngest daughter, Erin, was born and where I ended my active duty naval career," Dick explained. However, he remained in the Naval Reserve. The family moved from Rhode Island to Virginia, bought a big old Victorian house and opened The Curiosity Shop in downtown Elkton. Then two years later, they sold the house and the business and moved to Eagle Rock in1973, when Dick took a job with the Veteran's Administration in Roanoke. At that time they bought another big old Victorian house, naming it "Lambert's Last Resort" because they were determined this would be their last resort - no more moving! Before retiring from the Naval Reserve in 1980, Dick also served as commanding officer of the Naval Reserve Roanoke detachment of Amphibious Group Two, which in time of national emergency, was ready to join operations in the Atlantic-Mediterranean. During his naval career and while serving with the Army and Marines, Dick earned the Navy Commendation Medal with combat "V", Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Commendation, Navy Unit Commendation, Good Conduct Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba), Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. Dick retired from the Veterans' Administration in 1989. He spent the next 30 years attempting his hand at "gentleman farming" on the property's 24 acres, and restoring much of the home's 143 year-old features. He truly loved living at "Lambert's Last Resort." He was an avid reader (just about a book a day) and probably one of the Eagle Rock Library's best customers. In 2014 he wrote, "This year was eventful. The Basswood tree on the front lawn, which was 70 feet tall and about 100 years old fell around May 10. Fortunately, it fell away from the house toward the old hand-dug well which meant it did almost no damage. I subsequently had it cut up and had the old Silver Maple on the other side of the front lawn cut down because it was leaning toward the house and it turned out to be hollow all the way down below the ground. The Basswood was almost completely hollow. "Then on July 23, I had my aortic valve replaced, five bypasses (using a vein from my right leg) and a maze procedure to eliminate A-fib. It looks like I'll be on blood thinner for the rest of my life. The surgery was successful but the subsequent ordeal was tough, although not that painful. Ironically, the ordeal was harder on Anita and our wonderful daughters who were very helpful to both of us. My gratitude to them is beyond words." In March 2016, he wrote, "Still recovering from heart surgery. Had a scare at the end of January when we were in Flor-i-duh. I was hospitalized for congestive heart failure." Dick frequently boasted, "I have been blessed with four beautiful, intelligent, college educated daughters with jobs. (Stress the jobs part.) I feel honored to belong to a brave immigrant family who made something from next to nothing and who, along the way, served our country in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and now in Iraq and Afghanistan. Free men and women can accomplish great things when they are willing to fight to stay free." Besides his "first wife," four daughters and their mates, he is survived by five grandchildren, two and a half great-grandchildren, a brother and his wife, a few cousins, lots of nieces and nephews, and a host of very, very dear friends. Memorial Services will be held at 11am, Saturday, August 31, 2019 in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 620 Jefferson Ave, Clifton Forge. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Botetourt Funeral Homes and Crematory. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 620 Jefferson Ave, Clifton Forge, VA 24422, and/or Christendom College, 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, Virginia 22630. Attachments area