Richard Earl Kephart

Richard Earl Kephart, of Eureka, Nevada, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025 at the age of 96. He was born May 2, 1928, in Modesto, California, and lived the first 30 years of his life in Modesto; he was a graduate of Modesto High School.

Richard’s life was characterized by his love for his family, old tractors – primarily Oliver Tractors, and farming. His family and friends knew that the older and junkier the piece of equipment, the more he enjoyed it!

Richard was a veteran of the Korean War, stationed above the 38th parallel for the entire time that he was in country. His service to our Country included being a heavy equipment operator – a skill he learned on the farm from his father, and building the roads and bridges used by our servicemen. He was extremely proud of his service to our Country and typically wore a baseball cap bearing the years he served in Korea as a display of that pride.

He farmed for many years in the State of Washington; and in 1971, he moved the family to Eureka, Nv., where he managed the farm until his passing.

Aside from his love of farming, he enjoyed cruising to far-away lands, attending baseball games – following his favorite teams when he was not able to attend in person, Fox News and Westerns.

Richard, also known as Poppy, touched the lives of many. He will be remembered for his many unique sayings that we call “Poppyisms” and his tractor shirts; he is dearly missed by his family and friends.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Mari Alice (Lugar) Kephart; his children: Susan Finnerty (Kevin), Steven Kephart (Mary), Tamara Kephart, and Alana (Green) Kephart; 7 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren.

One of the Poppyisms remembered by the family is “Everybody dies but not everybody knows how to live.” Poppy lived a full and enjoyable life. To celebrate his life that he lived well, there will be a graveside service at Acacia Memorial Park, 801 Scenic Dr, Modesto, California on April 23rd at 11:00 a.m.. A reception will follow the service.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made in honor of Richard Kephart’s memory. The family requests donations be made to the Turlock High School FFA Program, 1600 E Canal Drive, Turlock, CA 95380. Your donation will support the education of High School Youth as they learn the skills to building, repairing, buying, and selling farm implements.