-By Donna Shorten-
I met Richard Shorten 36 years ago at my church concert of the Messiah. I was the cello player and he was to be the blind date in the brown suit. I saw him walk in the church doors and thought, "OK, he has to be the person I am to meet" and went on and finished the program knowing I had said I would not date any more, much less a short person.
Turned out, he was five inches taller than me and to boot, his name was Shorten. ..God was laughing at me for what I said. We were married six months later in the Rose Gardens here in Tulsa. Dick told me things about himself before we met.......going all over the United States working during the summer months as a Forest Ranger student. He said he loved the job but was not allowed to continue without a degree after five years of college. He came back to Tulsa and worked several jobs. Weed inspector for the City of Tulsa was one and then he settled down at HTB for over twelve years. He was devoted to his job, proud of his abilities, and a kind and loving person. And then he was laid off as others in his age group were; that caused his spirit to sink. He had a new little son, he had lost another son one year before and now, no job. He tried to find other work but the wages were so low that the cost of baby sitting was more than his wage so he became a Daddy Mom and I went to work full time. He cared for our son "Little Richard " for many years until I became ill and had to retire. He then found a minimum wage part time job as a driver for a delivery company until he had to have emergency open heart surgery. Dick lived in Sand Springs for several years and frequently talked about his early years in their school system. He moved to Tulsa when in high school where he graduated from Central HS in 1950. He loved going to the mountains and 4x4 vehicles and "The Farm."
Viewing will be 10 A.M. till 8 P.M., Monday, October 26, 2015 at Moore's Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa, OK Service will be 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel, 5111 S. Memorial Dr., Tulsa, OK Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233