In Memory

Richard Barclay

Richard Barclay

Lt. Col. Richard Calvin Barclay, USAF (Retired), 60, a veteran, U..S Air Force pilot and reconnaissance technology expert, passed away Oct. 23, 2012, in Falls Church, Va.
At the time of his passing, Col. Barclay was senior systems engineer for TASC, Inc., a leading national security and public safety government contractor in Chantilly, Va.
A native of Cleveland, Col. Barclay received a B.S. in astronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1974, and later received masters of science degrees from the AF Institute of Technology in 1983 and Colorado Technical University in 2004.
During his career in the Air Force, he was a C-130 pilot. His first assignment was as a "Typhoon Chaser" in Guam having successfully flown into 19 typhoons. He also served as chief of the TENCAP division at the Air Force Space Command, chief systems engineer in the USAF Big Safari Program and chief in the military support division for the SAF Space Systems. He worked in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Col. Barclay's interest and service in the nation's space program was born in the 1960s when U.S. astronauts first flew into space. Among the astronauts who inspired him to pursue a career in the Air Force was John Glenn.
In addition to his service in both the military and private sectors, Col. Barclay was a devoted family man. One of his greatest joys in life was being "Papa" to his beloved granddaughter, Laura. He was also a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns