Richard Norman Milholland

Richard Norman Milholland passed away on Aug. 15, 2020. He was born Jan. 22, 1993 in Tonasket, Wash.

Richard Norman Milholland passed away on August 15, 2020. Richard is survived by his mother Crystal, his father Mike, his brother Jerry, his grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Born on January 22, 1993 in Tonasket, Washington, Richard embraced adventure from an early age. His generous spirit endeared him to the community and his friends. Richard was a man for whom calling someone friend was more than just a word. To Richard, the label of friend was a promise of presence, love and enduring care. A childhood friend has described him as the most loving and kind person they had ever known. If you needed a ride at three o’clock in the morning, it was Richard who would always pick up the phone. He also loved a great game of most anything on his computer, sometimes asking his buddies if they were up for a game.

In addition to being a caring person, Richard was a dedicated athlete. Richard held the turbo javelin record for several years at Oroville Junior High School and still holds the 50 yard dash record. While at Oroville High School, from which he graduated in 2012, Richard played Center for the football team and participated in track. He loved his community and spent time making improvements at Sitzmark Ski Area for his senior project, where he learned to ski and spent many a weekend bombing the slopes with his friends. As an avid adventurer, he traveled to Russia during his senior year of high school to visit his Uncle Lief, Aunt Anastasia and cousin Devin. While there, he rode 4-wheelers, hiked and helped build a shed that will be standing for decades to come. He had a special spirit that allowed him to be an active outdoorsman, but still take time for sharing a game of Bingo with his grandparents in Spokane. Richard held space for all he loved in his heart, and always made room for you in his life. Richard is well remembered for driving his blue Ford Courier, blasting music and radiating joy. He was often spotted with his dog, Zoey, riding shotgun at his side. With an aptitude for mechanics and machinery, he excelled at operating tractors and was able to rewire almost anything. After high school, he moved from working summers at Rise’s orchard to working at Reman and Reload and Prince’s Foods. For years he bucked hay with his grandparents and helped with many chores on their farm. He was incredibly hard working and very loyal. He moved to Marysville in recent years, where he worked in the inventory division of Funko and later in food delivery services.

His joyful energy, clever jokes and love of his friends and family will never be matched and his presence in our world will be dearly missed. While there will be no formal memorial, we express gratitude for all of you who share his stories with our family and hold him in your heart with love. We can imagine that when we step into heaven, Richard will be playing music, have a freshly grilled burger waiting for us on the tailgate of his truck and welcoming us all home.

In lieu of flowers, we ask you donate to a charity of your choice or contribute to The Richard Milholland Memorial scholarship fund at Umpqua Bank.